Wine Jelly
by mangawolfgirl96
Summary: After finishing filming in France for a movie Kyoko was supposed to come back with the rest of the actors and crew, but she mysteriously disappears. Leaving only a letter to Ren. 15 years later they meet again.
1. Prologue

_**Kuon's POV  
**_"Good-bye, Tsuruga-san." When Kyoko said that as I dropped her off at the airport was something I'd expected. But I had not expected the true meaning behind those words. "Could you repeat that, Yashiro?" I asked my manager. He winced. "I said that Kyoko-chan didn't board the plane back from France and no one's heard from her since last night, expect Kanae-chan." He repeated handing me a letter. "What's that?" I asked, not really caring. "Kyoko-chan asked me to give you this the day the plane back from France landed in Tokyo." Yashiro said quietly. I slowly took the letter and opened it.

Dear Tsuruga-san,  
by the time you are reading this I will have disappeared.  
Please do not worry about me, I have found another source of income  
and plan on staying in France. Please do not look for me for you will not find me.  
I thank you for all you have done for me. I hope to meet you again one day. Goodbye, Ren.

, Mogami Kyoko

I crumpled the letter in my hand. _**Why, Kyoko?! WHY?!**_ I thought enraged._** I was so close to catching you. But why do you always fly out of my reach when I love you so much?**_

_**Kyoko's POV  
**_I had to hold my hat on to keep it from flying away in Paris' spring air. The wind whispered in my ear, and I swore I heard his voice saying "I love you" softly. My unshed tears prickled my eyes as I looked up at the clear blue sky. _**I love you too, Ren.**_ I thought, walking away from the airport, and towards a new life.


	2. Chapter 1

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I finished the last final touch for my latest batch of Grue Brique Geleé di Vins. A Grue Brique Geleé di Vin was my own special dessert wine jelly in a decorated glass, inspired by the one who held my  
heart. I untied my apron, and hung it up. I grabbed one of the waiters' aprons, tied it around my waist, and grabbed an order book. I pushed open the kitchen door, and walked into the dining  
section of my restaurant, Le Goût du Vin. It had been 15 years since I left Japan. I had become an apprentice to the previous owner of Le Goût du Vin, and when he passed away he left me, his youngest and most promising apprentice his restaurant, which infuriated his other apprentices who had spent years upon years under him, when I had only spent 10. I walked up to the nearest table where a tall costumer with graying blonde hair, a hat and sunglasses sat looking over a menu.

"May I take your order, Sir?" I asked.

"Yes, I'll have the Grue Brique Geleé di Vins, with a glass of Saint Emilion, please, Kyoko-chan." He replied in Japanese as he tilting his sunglasses down so I could see his face.

"Otou-san?" I asked slipping into Japanese myself.

"Long time no see. I see you're back to your original color." Otou-san said gesturing to my hair. I smiled.

"Yes, I have and it has been a long time." I said. He smiled up at me.

"So your new job is as a waitress?" Otou-san asked noting my clothing. I shook my head.

"No, I own this restaurant. Every once in a while I like to talk with the customers and see how I can improve me recipes and so forth." Otou-san chuckled.

"You always had a talent for cooking." He said smiling.

"Maman!" A voice called from behind me. I turned to see a teenage boy with black hair and grey eyes running towards me.

"How was school, Yuki?" I asked as I hugged him.

"Fine, who's this, Maman?" He asked hugging me and gesturing to Otou-san. I glanced over my shoulder to see Otou-san gaping at Yuki. I smiled weakly at him.

"Yuki, this is your ojii-san, Hizuri Kuu. Otou-san this is Yuki, my son." I introduced them softly. Yuki smiled politely at Otou-san.

"Nice to meet you, Kuu jii-chan." He said bowing. Otou-san chuckled.

"Why don't you come and join me, Yuki?" He asked gesturing to the seat across from him. Yuki sat down on the chair and started chatting with Otou-san. I smiled looking at the heart warming sight.

"You better not mention a thing about his father to him. And you will saw absolutely nothing about Yuki to _him_. Do you understand, Otou-san?" I whispered low enough so Yuki couldn't hear me. He nodded.

"I'll be right back with some Grue Brique Geleé di Vins and some drinks." I told them heading to the kitchen, smiling to myself.

"Damn, cell phone." A man muttered in Japanese as they bumped into me.

"Please reframe from swearing inside the restaurant, sir." I said to him polite in as I continued towards the kitchen.

"Kyoko?" The man asked utterly surprised. I froze and turned back to look at the man I had bumped into. Sho was standing right in my restaurant, gaping at me.

"What are you doing here?" He asked bewildered. I crossed my arms in a gesture of annoyance.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" I asked him, annoyed and slightly panicked. _**If Sho sees Yuki he might start asking questions.**_ I thought trying to calm down. He gave me a once over.

"You're working as a waitress?" Sho asked slightly surprised. I felt my eyebrow twitch.

"Unless, you're going to get something to eat get out. And that does not mean I'll be your server if you just decide to sit down and order something randomly off the menu." I said walking back towards the kitchen. He whistled behind me.

"What would your boss say if I told him you weren't being nice to his customers?" He said cockily. I smiled.

"Well, considering this is my restaurant, I would say complaining to my boss would be a bit hard." I said, walking into the kitchen. A few chefs looked up as I walked in, but went back to their work shortly after.

"Do you need something, Madame?" One of the new chefs asked. I shook my head.

"Nothing I can't get myself." I told him politely. The 30 year old man with rugged black hair and light brown eyes, was obviously trying to get on my good side.

"I just need to get some drinks and Grue Brique Geleé di Vins for my son and his grandfather." I said grabbing the serving tray I had been reaching for. I watched with amusement as he walked away cursing in English.

"Jean, please reframe from swearing in the restaurant." I said to him in English, making it clear I could understand every word he was saying.

"Yes, Madame." He mumbled blushing slightly. I grabbed two Grue Brique Geleé di Vins and put them on the trey. I grabbed a wine glass and poured Otou-san's drink and grabbed a glass of Coca-cola for Yuki. I set the drinks down on the tray and headed to the table where Yuki and Otou-san were waiting. I smiled as I set down the glasses of wine jelly and drinks in front of them. Yuki smiled as he saw what I set down.

"Yum, Grue Brique Geleé di Vins." He said taking a bite. Otou-san chuckled looking at his joyful expression.

"Ne, Kyoko-chan, doesn't Grue Brique translate into Tsuruga Ren?" Otou-san asked. I blushed slightly and nodded. He chuckled.

"Have you read his book?" Otou-san asked. I nodded a sad smile on my face.

"Yes, and it's a good thing he wrote under a pen name and used false names in the book otherwise the tabloids would've gone crazy over it." I whispered, trying to choke back tears. A few years ago Ren had published a book about his experiences of love with me and hoped I would someday read it and return to his side. But I'd already made a life for myself in France with Yuki and I didn't want to give it up. Otou-san gave me an awkward one arm hug.

"I should warn you. I'm shooting a movie with him close by. Try to keep Yuki hidden and yourself in the scarce." He whispered to me taking a sip of his wine. I nodded.

"When does filming end?" Otou-san glanced at the clock.

"It ended five minutes ago, and it takes about ten minutes to get here from the shooting location." He said apologetically. I started panicking.

_**Kuon's POV**_

I pulled up outside of Le Goût du Vin ten minutes after shooting ended. I parked the car, put on my hat and sunglasses and went inside. It wasn't a huge restaurant, but it offered protect from photographers and journalists. The quaint little restaurant had become famous a few years back due to its special wine jelly dessert. One of the many reasons I chose to come to this restaurant, instead of a fancy one. I was waiting patiently when I caught a glimpse of long black hair and amber eyes. I whipped my head to get a good look at the person who walked past the corner of my eye but they had vanished. _**Damn, I'm seeing things again.**_ I thought sighing.

"Hey, Kuon, you decided to come here too?" Called a familiar voice in Japanese. I turned to see my father, Hizuri Kuu, waving at me from a table.

"Otou-san, what are you doing here?" I asked walking over to him. He gestured to the huge glass of wine jelly in front of him.

"Grabbing a bite to eat before I head back to the hotel." I sat down across from him. Weirdly my seat was warm.

"Is that Le Gout du Vin's famous wine jelly dessert?" I asked him. Otou-san nodded. I licked my lips.

"How much are those?" I asked. He shrugged.

"No clue. I know the owner so she's letting me eat as much as I want for free." He said taking another bite.

"And she's not worried about going broke?" I asked, chuckling. Otou-san chuckled, as he flagged down a waitress.

"Excuse me Miss, could I have a menu for my friend here?" He asked. His French was as good as my Japanese. She glanced at me and smiled.

"It would be my pleasure." She said, winking at me. I smiled politely back. A small smile crept onto Otou-san's face.

"Being unfaithful, are we?" He asked. I glared at him.

"I was being polite." I replied annoyed. He shrugged.

"And I was going to tell you where you might find Kyoko-chan." Otou-san said taking yet another bite of his pastry. _**How big is that thing?**_ A small part of me wondered while the rest of me froze.

"You found Kyoko." It wasn't a question. He smiled, and winked at me.

"You'll find her soon enough." Otou-san said smirking. I glared at him. I was about to speak when I heard an annoying voice.

"What do you mean she disappeared 15 years ago from the entertainment track?!" It shouted in Japanese. I turned to my right to see Fuwa Sho talking on his cell phone. He quieted as whoever he was talking to, replied.

"Is there anything about why she disappeared?" Fuwa asked in a quieter voice walking, unknowingly, towards our table. I watched in amusement as his eyes grew wide as he heard something he didn't want to hear.

"Kyoko was seen leaving Hizuri Kuon's hotel room?!" He hissed into the phone loud enough for me to hear him.

"She was seen leaving whose hotel room?" I asked him, thinking I misheard him. His head whipped up as he heard me. Fuwa glared at me.

"Yours dumbass. And from the sound of it you know nothing of it." He said smirking.

"So you came here to bring her back, huh? How'd you find this place? I checked the listing before and if I remember correctly the owner isn't listed." Fuwa glanced over my shoulder.

"What are you doing back there, old man?" He asked confused and irritated. I turned to see Otou-san in the middle of doing a 'shut up' gesture to Fuwa.

"Otou-san, what's going on? You seem to know what Fuwa's talking about, and telling him to be quiet, and it's about Kyoko." Suddenly a younger me with black hair popped out from around the around the corner behind Otou-san.

"Kuu jii-chan, Maman wants you." He said to Otou-san. He jumped and glanced at me. I was staring at the teenage boy trying to figure out who he was.

"Yuki, I thought I told you to wait in the kitchen while I got him." A woman said coming around the same corner and froze when she saw me. She had waist length black hair and amber eyes.

"Kyoko." I breathed as I recognized her. She hadn't changed much. She'd dyed her hair back to its original color and it had grown longer, but she was still the same. _**Same face, same posture, and the same sweet curves—**_ I stopped that thought in its tracks. Kyoko thawed out and tapped the teenager on the back of his head.

"Yuki, say hello to your otou-san, Hizuri Kuon." She said smiling weakly. The boy glared, and I was surprised just how much the boy looked like me. He was a carbon copy of me except for his hair color.

"Hello." I managed standing up. Yuki smirked.

"Hey, old man." He said in a bored tone. I felt my eyebrow twitch. Kyoko bopped him on the head again.

"Oi, Maman, why was that for?" He asked looking down at Kyoko. Yuki had gotten my height. He was at least 30cms taller than Kyoko. She shook her head.

"Do you want to see why I referred to him sometimes as the Demon Lord, Yuki?" She whispered loudly. He smirked.

"I could take him down easy, Maman." Yuki said cracking his knuckles. Kyoko sighed.

"Fine, go ahead try to beat him up, but I'm taking the hospital bills out of your allowance." She said taking the seat next to Otou-san.

"And do it outside, I don't want blood on my carpets." Kyoko added taking a sip of Otou-san's wine. Yuki rolled his eyes.

"I can understand about the carpets, but what's with the hospital bills? Are you going to pay for his, or something?" He asked gesturing to me.

"No, I'm going to take your hospital bills out of your allowance." She said. Yuki looked at me than back at Kyoko.

"You think he's going to beat me up and you're going to let him?" He asked in disbelief.

"You inherited your father's stubbornness. If you two set your minds to something there's no use stopping you." She said taking another sip of wine. Fuwa was just staring at us speechless. Otou-san on the other hand was ordering a bottle of wine for the show. I rolled my eyes.

"Kyoko, do you honestly think I would try to hurt him?" I asked her. She shrugged.

"No, but with how well Yuki fights, instinct will most likely overpower common sense and I doubt he is up to par with you, Kuon." Kyoko said downing the last of Otou-san's wine.

"Otou-san, did you ask for another glass with the bottle of wine?" She asked him setting the glass down. He nodded.

"I thought you could use a few glasses of wine with the day you've had."

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I smiled. "Thanks, Otou-san. Today actually started off quite well. The previous owner's apprentices haven't come around demanding ownership of Le Goût du Vin or the Grue Brique Geleé di Vin recipe. None of Yuki's rivals or underlings have come around. It was great before Sho, and Kuon showed up." I said a small hint of bitterness in my voice. The waiter who delivered the bottle of wine was quite nervous because of the atmosphere, but relaxed slightly as he recognized me.

"Acquaintances of yours, Madame?" He asked setting the bottle of wine and a wine glass down.

"Yes, this is Yuki's father," I gestured to Kuon. "His grandfather," I gestured to Otou-san. "And a past annoyance." I said glancing at Sho. He nodded and scurried away. I popped the cork out of the wine and poured Otou-san and I some wine. He picked his glass up and clinked it with mine.

"Cheers." He said taking a long sip. I chuckled.

"Cheers." I took a sip and turned my attention back to Yuki and Kuon.

"So should we relocate to a table with a window or will you to be able to talk this out?" I asked them sighing quietly. Yuki shrugged. Kuon mirrored Yuki's action. I rolled my eyes. _**Men.**_


	3. Chapter 2

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I secured the cork in the top of the wine bottle and glanced around for an empty table with not many occupied tables around it. Fortunately there was one right by the door.

"Otou-san, can you bring the wine to the empty table by the door while I escort Kuon and Yuki outside?"

I asked getting up. He nodded and picked up the bottle.

"Follow me, boys." I said heading to the door.

Yuki jogged ahead of me and opened the door.

"This won't improve the chances of me helping you, Yuki." I told him as I walked out.

Kuon chuckled, and I shot him a mild glared over my shoulder. He snapped his mouth shut and continued in silence. I lead them to an empty space in the parking lot.

"Here are the rules, the first one downs loses, no below the belt blows, and after the knockdown no matter what the winner is final unless he breaks a rule, understood?" I asked annoyed that I had to referee a battle between my son and his father.

They winced and nodded. They both knew all too well what happened when I became angry.

"Start whenever you like." I said heading back inside. Yuki stared after me in disbelief. I plopped down across from Otou-san where my wine glass sat. I picked it up and took a long drink.

"Do you think they'll really hurt each other?" Otou-san asked drinking his wine.

I shrugged and glanced out the window. Yuki and Kuon were dancing around looking for an opening on the other. I almost choke on my wine as I spotted a group of Yuki's underlings.

I set my wine glass down and dashed for the door. I was in between Yuki, Kuon, and the group of underlings before one noticed the other.

"Yuki. Kuon, we have a small problem." I growled through gritted teeth.

They looked over and Yuki smirked.

"Perfect timing." He said smugly.

"It was one thing when it was one-on-one. I will _not_ tolerate you ganging up on Kuon." I hissed at him.

The group of underlings swaggered over to me.

"Yuki, who's this? Your girlfriend?" One asked eying me.

Kuon's face became blank as a sheet of paper, but I could tell he was laughing on the inside. Yuki just looked at them with disgust.

"I don't think so. This is my _mother_." He said shivering.

The underlings stared at me wide eyed.

"Isn't your mom 40?" Another asked.

"35." I corrected him.

My irritation was growing quite rapidly, and the imbeciles in front of me were not helping.

"And this is private property so leave." I told them acid leaking into my voice.

They laughed.

"Your mom's a piece of work dude." The first one said.

Yuki was shaking his head as he crouched behind a parked car. Kuon followed him shortly.

"Yuki, why are you hiding? It's not like there's any danger. I mean your mom's old and she's a woman." The second one said.

"Get off my property before I _make_ you." I hissed through gritted teeth.

They shrugged.

"Don't think so, old hag." A third one said.

That was the last straw. My demons lunged towards the unsuspecting fools, cackling happily as they began pinching, poking, kicking, punch, and throwing whatever they can get their hands on at the four. Soon Yuki's underlings were picking themselves and their wounded comrade up off the ground and fleeing for their lives. I watched with dark amusement.

"Did you really have to go all out on them?" Kuon and Yuki asked coming out from behind the car.

I shrugged. "I didn't have to, but what would be the fun in letting them off without a warning?"

Kuon winced as he recognized the Mio-like attitude. Yuki was grumbling something to himself. I sighed.

"Is there any way for you two to settle this _peacefully_?" I asked feeling a headache coming on. They exchanged a glance and nodded. They knew I was having a somewhat bad day, and they did not want to be the icing on the cake.

"Ms. Mogami, what trouble have you gotten yourself in to this time?" A harsh womanly voice asked. Yuki grimaced and crept inside. Kuon stayed where he was.

"I have gotten myself into no trouble, Ms. Mauvais." I said curtly. "I was having a talking with my son, and an old friend of mine."

Ms. Mauvais was a tall slender woman with cold green eyes and short brown hair. She was one of the apprentices of the previous owner. One of which felt necessary that I would be checked on and hassled every minute of every day for the ownership of Le Goût du Vin and it's recipes. Ms. Mauvais raised a faint brow.

"A friend from that rural country called Japan?" She asked obviously disgusted.

"Actually, Kuon is from America, but moved to Japan by himself when he was 15." I said plastering on a plastic smile.

Ms. Mauvais flinched slightly at the sight of my smile. She had one or two experiences with my demons and was a quick learner. She glanced at Kuon and was stunned. Being the single woman she was Ms. Mauvais put on her best smile and approached him.

"Hello, I'm Jeanne Mauvais." She practically purred.

I gagged. Ms. Mauvais was at least 10 years older than I was and was hitting on a man 6 years younger than she was.

"Um, Kyoko, who is this really?" Kuon asked shaking Ms. Mauvais' out stretched hand.

"One of the devils who are after my restaurant and my recipes." I replied in Japanese knowing Ms. Mauvais couldn't understand us.

Kuon chuckled and put on his gentleman smile.

"So you're one of the ones who keep harasing my precious Kyoko." He said in a perfectly pleasant tone.

Ms. Mauvais looked at Kuon blankly.

"What?" She asked, possibly thinking she must have misheard what the gorgeous gentleman in front of her was saying.

"You heard me, and I really don't appreciate you making things hard on Kyoko. Considering she's a single mother, running her own business trying to stay away from the past." Kuon said his smile slipping away to show the face underneath.

Ms. Mauvais took a step backwards unconsciously. I placed my hand on Kuon's shoulder.

"That's enough, Kuon. I can take care of my own problems. I have been for the last 15 years." I said squeezing his shoulder gently.

_**Kuon's POV**_

I wiped my expression clean, and turned to face Kyoko, unwilling to take my eyes off the witch (cough*bitch*cough).

"I just want to help." I said withering slightly under her glare.

Kyoko sighed and shook her head.

"Do I seem weak to you Kuon? My life is mine to run and if I need help I'll ask for it. Now go inside and get to know your son better." She added quietly.

I nodded reluctantly but went inside. Yuki and Otou-san were watching the scene outside as I sat down beside Yuki. He barely looked up as he noticed my presence.

"Yuki, I know it seems like I sent Kyoko running to France." I started quietly.

He turned and glared at me.

"It doesn't 'seem' like it. You did. Every night Maman cried when she thought I was asleep. After your book was published she cried herself to sleep as she clutched her copy. _You_ made her miserable and I won't forgive you for it." Yuki said crossly.

I sighed, trying to think how to explain it so he'll understand.

"Hey, Hizuri shit head." An irritable voice called walking towards us.

I could pick out that voice miles away.

"What do you want Fuwa?" I asked him taking a sip from Kyoko's wine glass._** Mm, Saint Emilion.**_

"You're dead for touching my Kyoko." He hissed.

I choked on the wine, and Yuki looked up at Fuwa.

"'_Your_ Kyoko'?" We asked him, disbelief in every syllable.

A smug smile adored Fuwa's face.

"That's right. _Mine_." He said cockily.

I exchanged a glance with Yuki, and smiled. Yuki mirrored my smile. But it was no ordinary smile but a gentleman smile. Fuwa was shocked speechless that I could still smile at a time like this.

"Yuki, do you know a good place with no witnesses?" I asked him.

Yuki nodded and I grabbed Fuwa's collar.

"Lead the way." I said grinning genuinely at him.

Yuki grinned as he weaved his way through the restaurant and out through the kitchen. We ended up out back with no one around and a brick wall between us and the street.

"How many guys have you beaten up back here?" I asked him throwing Fuwa against the wall.

Yuki shrugged.

"I don't keep count anymore." I frowned.

"Hurting people just to hurt people isn't right, Yuki." I told him sternly.

He raise a brow and glanced at Fuwa. I shrugged.

"He's a special case." I said making sure Fuwa wasn't getting away.

"Why?"

"Because he broke your mother's heart once. And it took a whole three years before I could even wedge myself in there." I said shaking my head.

Yuki cracked his knuckles.

"You want first shot?" He asked gesturing to Fuwa.

I shook my head.

"Nah, I'll let you have it so you're actually causing some damage." I said lounging against the wall of the restaurant.

Yuki smirked. "Don't mind if I do."

He picked Fuwa up and started landing blow after blow on his face. After a while I caught Yuki wrist from landing another blow. He glanced at me and back off.

"My turn, Fuwa." I said darkly as I picked up the bloody mess in front of me.

His eyes grew wide with horror as my fist connected with a satisfying crunch. I kneed him in the chest and heard a sound that sounded like twigs snapping. I grinned with dark amusement.

"I think that's enough for now." I said shaking his blood off my hands.

"Yuki, can you grab me an apron from the kitchen?" I asked inspecting the bloody mess that was once Fuwa Sho.

He nodded, ran inside and came back out a few seconds later with a white apron. I took it and quickly put it on. I slung Fuwa over my shoulder and climbed over the wall. Luckily the other side was deserted. I dumped Fuwa and climbed back over the wall. Once on the other side I balled up the apron and threw it in the trash.

"Yuki, I know you don't like me and I don't know if you ever will, but when I dropped your mother off at the airport I had no idea she wasn't planning on coming back."

He looked at me curiously.

"Maman never told me, but what exactly did she used to do?" Yuki asked as we headed back inside.

I sighed.

"That's something you should have Kyoko tell you, because I have no idea how to explain it."


	4. Chapter 3

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I bit my lip.

"Well before I came to France I worked as a Love Me Section member." I said vaguely glancing nervously at Kuon. He was immersed in a 'coughing' fit, and Otou-san wasn't far behind. I scowled at him.

"That doesn't really tell me anything, Maman. I mean what does a Love me Section member _do_?" Yuki clarified. I cursed under my breath.

"Well, they do odd jobs around the office." Yuki sighed.

"You see what I mean, Papa? She never tells me what she used to do." Yuki said to Kuon as he leaned back in his chair. It astounded me how fast they were able to form such a strong bond in such a short amount of time.

"Come on, Kyoko, just tell him the truth. You know what would help? The Love Me Section overalls." Kuon said mischievously. I laughed.

"You think I still have those?" I asked between laughs. _**God, please let them think the laughter is real.**_

"Wait, are you talking about a pair of bright, bright, neon pink overalls?" Yuki asked a smile creeping onto his face. Kuon nodded, trying to contain his laughter.

"Aren't those in the attic? I was up there looking for something the other day and I found those. Freaked me out for a second when I saw a heap of pink glowing cloth." Yuki said laughing. I felt my cheek burn hot.

"Those things glow in the dark?" Otou-san asked suppressing his laughter only slightly better than his son. I nodded, burying my head in my hands.

"Do we have to talk about that embarrassing uniform?" I whined. Yuki burst out laughing.

"That was a _uniform_?!" He asked cracking up even more. I bit my lip.

"You just had to, didn't you, Kuon?" I accused him lifted my head slightly. He shrugged.

"Yuki wanted to know and I told him you could probably explain it better. I mean you had to explain it to Kotonami-chan, didn't you?" I felt my heart ache and twist just hearing her name. Kuon noticed my change in attitude.

"She really misses you, Kyoko. I believe she put a curse on you after she couldn't find you to be her Maid of Honor." He added jokingly.

"So Moko-san married Hiou-kun?" I asked feeling a bit better. Kuon nodded.

"They have a daughter three years younger than Yuki. I have a picture if you want to see her." He added pulling out his wallet.

"Kotonami-chan gave me this so that if I ever ran into you, you'd be able to see her daughter. I think I understand why now. I knew she was hiding something from me." Kuon added nodded towards Yuki. I shrugged as I took the picture.

"I asked her not to tell you. I mean you probably would have boarded the next plan to France and search high and low for me forsaking LME, Maria, President, your job, and Yashiro-san." I said glancing down at the picture. I gasped as I saw the people in the photo.

A tall man wearing a suit with ragged black hair, and stunning grey eyes. Next to him was a raven haired beauty in a light purple sun dress. Her hair fell past her waist and her grey eyes looked sliver in the lighting. But what was most stunning about the photo was the raven haired girl standing behind them. She had chocolate brown eyes, raven hair that fell onto her shoulder, and gorgeous long, slender legs.

"My god, she's beautiful. I mean I was expecting her to be pretty, her mother's Moko-san but I never expected she'd be this beautiful." I said gaping at the picture. Kuon smiled.

"Her name is Hime. It suits her nicely doesn't it?" He said with a sly grin. I scowled at him playfully. Yuki raise a brow in interest.

"Can I see the picture, Maman?" He asked. I smiled and handed Yuki the picture. I watched greatly amused as his jaw became slack and started stammering after looking at the picture.

"Looks like Moko-san is playing cupid again." I murmured to myself. Kuon raise a brow. I blushed.

"Okay, back on topic. Maman, what was your job before you came to France? No vague or roundabout answers." Yuki added. I sighed.

"I was a rising actress. I was three year into the industry and a year after I beat Sho when I became pregnant with you. I started apprenticing under Mignon-san right after I disappeared, and here I am now." I said shrugging. It Yuki a moment to digest the information.

"So my parents are two famous actors?" He asked. I pursed my lips.

"Well your father is definitely one. Kuon was at one point the most recognizable man in Japan. I, on the other hand, had only done 4 or 5 movies and 15 or 16 dramas." I said remembering all the roles I played. Yuki smirked.

"So if I decided to become an actor, you guys wouldn't object?" He asked. Kuon and I stared at Yuki and whapped him on the back of his head.

"Of course we wouldn't. Heck, we would help you. I mean Kuon helped me many times with my roles. And I did some by myself before." I added noticing Kuon's smug face. Suddenly, there were sirens in the distance coming closer. They turned onto the street behind the restaurant. I turned my attention back to our table. Yuki was looking awful sheepish.

"Yuki. Kuon, what did you do while I was talking to Ms. Mauvais?" I asked closing my eyes. Otou-san patted my shoulder, and I opened my eyes.

"Trust me, Kyoko. They didn't do anything illegal." He said. Yuki winced. And I swore I saw Kuon wince as well. A sudden thought hit me.

"Kuon, what happened to Sho?" I asked slowly closing my eyes again.

"All we did was correct a small problem with his thinking." He said not missing a beat. I winced.

"How many months?" Kuon paused.

"I'd say anywhere from three to twelve months."

"Kuon." I said sternly.

"He deserved it, Maman." Yuki said in his father defense.

"What did he do?" I asked opening my eyes. Otou-san was looking out the window. Kuon was fiddling with the cork for the wine. And Yuki was trying to steal the cork from Kuon.

"Well, he called you his." Kuon said quietly. I growled, and my demons began to seep out of my body.

"How dare that dirty bastard claim me?!" I shouted in Japanese.

Thankfully, the restaurant was almost empty and no one except the people at my table could understand what I was saying. Yuki was staring at me wide eyed, while Otou-san and Kuon were chuckling. I sat back down and took a deep breath.

"He never changes. Still you didn't need to beat him so badly that he has to be in the ICU for three to twelve months. But thanks." I said giving them both a peck on the cheek. Yuki blushed and scowled at me. Kuon smiled slyly.

"Just a peck on the cheek?" He asked innocently. I rolled my eyes and gave Kuon a kiss on the lips. A tingling sensation spread through my body at his touch, and memories of the night of too much wine, desire, and a convenient hotel room. After a while a separated my unwilling lips from his and sat back down blushing. Kuon chuckled licking his lips. I glanced at the clock to distract myself, and saw what time it was.

"Okay, Yuki, it's time for us to go home." I told him getting up. "Tomorrow for lunch break you are inviting the whole crew and cast here for lunch to Le Goût du Vin. No complaints." I said to Kuon before heading to the kitchen. I grabbed my bag out of my locker, and instructed my head chef to lock up before he left.

~The next day, during lunch break~

**_Kuon's POV_**

I heaved a sigh as I walked into Le Goût du Vin. Upon Otou-san's and my invitation the whole cast and crew of _Black Moonlight _was having lunch at Le Goût du Vin. Yuki was lounging against the wall waiting for us.

"Is this everyone?" He asked as people started coming in.

"Yeah, I think we have around 50 people." Yuki nodded.

"Maman saved enough tables for about 65 people so we have enough for everyone." He said heading off towards the tables.

I followed Yuki and the crew and cast followed me. He lead is to 13 tables near the back of the restaurant. Menus were already placed at every seat.

"Here are your tables and you get one free appetizer, entrée, drink, and dessert per person. Someone will come and see if you're ready to order in a couple minutes." Yuki said leaving.

"He reminds me of you at that age." Otou-san said chuckling. I rolled my eyes and sat down at the nearest table. Otou-san sat down across from me. The director of _Black Moonlight_, Shiroto Ryuuya, sat down next to me. And the lead actress, Tokomi Umi, sat down next to Otou-san.

"Does Le whatever du Vin give all its customers a free meal?" Tokomi-san asked a smirk on her face.

"No, I know the owner and she knew I was filming a movie around here and demanded I invite the entire cast and crew to lunch here." I said dryly. Tokomi-san looked at me bewildered that I could even use such a tone. Kyoko arrived a few minutes later.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Kyoko and I'll be your server today. Is anyone ready to order?" She asked in her usual cheerful tone.

Most of the men were grinning at her. Kyoko politely smiled back. She buzzed around taking orders from various stagehands and actors.

"Kuon, are you ready to order?" Kyoko asked as she stopped at my table.

"Not quite yet, but thanks for asking Kyoko." I replied skimming over my menu again. She rolled her eyes.

"Well if you can't decide on anything I'm bringing you a Grue Brique Geleé di Vin. No objections." Kyoko added knowing I would. I chuckled

"My eating habits have improved over the last 15 years. I've stopped skipping meal most of the time too." I said proudly.

"Because your manager, Boss, or Maria-chan drag you out to lunch." Otou-san added grinning smugly. I scowled at him. Kyoko shook her head in disappointment.

"If you eat regularly you won't get sick again, Kuon. Remember the last time you got sick?" She said a shadow of a smile playing on her lips.

I winced and glanced at my tablemates. Otou-san was laughing while Shiroto-san and Tokomi-san were staring at Kyoko in disbelief.

"The Hizuri Kuon gets sick?!" Tokomi-san asked. Kyoko nodded grinning mischievously.

"Yep, it was 18 years ago not too long after I met him. I was assigned as his temporary manager at the time. Kuon had a fever of 38°C, and he still worked I was miffed about how dedicated he was. That was until I found out that 'Tsuruga Ren' was just an everyday role." She added shooting me a glare. I faked a nervous expression.

"That was my stage name. I had to act and live as 'Tsuruga Ren'!" I said in my defense. Kyoko rolled her eyes as she grinned.

"You always pull an act at the most unpredictable times."

_**Kyoko's POV**_

Kuon smiled at my comment.

"That's what actors are for, but you already know that." He said winking. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Kyoko already has experience using acting in everyday life. Like the time I first met her." Otou-san added with a wink. I shrugged.

"I was just giving you a little taste of your own medicine." I replied smiling inwardly. Suddenly there was a crash of dishes from the main dining section.

"Excuse me for a moment." I said heading towards the sound. "Kuon, you stay here." I told him not even bothering to look over my shoulder. As I rounded the corner I saw a pile of broken dishes, leftover food, one of my waiters, and a gang of hoodlums.

"Are you okay?" I asked helping the waiter up. He looked up at me and gave me a small smile.

"I'm okay, thanks." He said hurrying off to find a broom and a mop. I turned my attention to the hoodlums.

"Get out of this restaurant." I told them curtly.

"Sorry, miss, but we can't do that. We're here to find a friend of ours by the name of snow." One of them said. I took a deep breath.

"MOGAMI YUKI, GET YOU ASS HERE NOW!" I yelled at the top of my lungs in Japanese.

Quick as a flash, Yuki was standing in front of me breathing heavily.

"What?" He asked. I gestured to the hoodlums.

"Do you recognize them?" I asked calming. Yuki nodded.

"There members of the Mort gang. I've only fought them once or twice, though." He added quickly. I sighed and covered my eyes.

"How many times have I told you that I do_ not_ want you fighting?" I asked him. Yuki gulped.

"Around 598 times." He said quietly backing away. I uncovered my eyes.

"You five have three minutes to get out of my restaurant and out of my sight before I call the police or worse." I said keeping my irritation and anger out of my voice. They sneered. My smile was quite Mio-like.


	5. Chapter 4

_**Kuon's POV**_

I fidgeted nervously in my seat. I was anxious to know what was going on out in the main dining area. Yuki walked over to our table.

"Kuu jii-chan. Papa, can you two calm down Maman if she goes into a rage?" He asked quietly. I nodded and glanced at Otou-san. He nodded as well. Yuki sighed with relief.

"Good, because I didn't think I could if she went into a rage. And things aren't looking too good." He added sheepishly. My eyes narrowed.

"Yuki, what's happening?" I asked in a harsh tone. He winced.

"Some guys from the Mort gang were looking for me and was harassing one of the waiters. The crash you heard we probably the dishes he was carrying. And now they're talking with Maman and her aura isn't looking too bright. Worse, she's smiling." Yuki added grimacing.

I barely registered anything else as I pushed my chair back and practically ran to the main dining area. As I rounded the corner I thought I had taken the wrong turn and hit a wall. But as I looked around I saw Kyoko 10 meters in front of my grinning devilishly at a group o five burly hoodlums.

"Kyoko." I said firmly. She didn't look over at me. I cursed mentally. Kyoko was gone and Mio was in full control.

"Mio." I said through gritted teeth. Kyoko looked over.

"Well, if it isn't Kuon." She spoke my name with a sad bitterness. I winced inwardly.

"Mio, please return Kyoko." I asked her quietly. Kyoko smirked.

"Kyoko wants these imbeciles out of her restaurant. All I'm doing is helping." She said shrugging her slender shoulders. The five hoodlums were staring at me.

"I thought you were Mogami's girlfriend." One asked grinning smugly.

"You're cheating on him?" another one asked chuckling. Kyoko glared at them. I forced my way through Kyoko's demon barrier to stand beside her.

"One, She's his mother, and two Kyoko's my girlfriend." I said sliding an arm around her tiny waist. Kyoko let out a quiet squeak, so I knew the real Kyoko was back. She quickly reassessed the situation.

"You five have no right to be in my restaurant. Now leave." Kyoko said firmly. Her aura flexed and began wrapping tightly around the hoodlums. They looked at her fearfully.

"This is just like the fight with Mogami. Do you think it's hereditary?" The first one asked one of the other ones. He nodded.

"We'll leave. So can you let us go?" The second one asked. Kyoko narrowed her eyes but withdrew her aura. The first one smirked as he drew back his fist. I grabbed his arm before he could throw the punch.

"Don't even try." I said smiling my gentleman smile. He shivered and tried to break my grasp. I only tightened my grip. Kyoko placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Kuon." I let go of his arm, but the smile stayed in place. The second one drew his arm back, but I delivered my own punch before he could even try. I heard a sloppy crunch as his nose broke on impacted. He yelped and stumbled back.

"You bastard." Another one growled as he charged. I sided stepped him the brought my knee up into his chest as I brought one of my fists down on his back. There was the sound of something snapping like twigs. His breath was forced out of his lungs as he fell to the ground. The remaining three high tailed it out the door, abandoning their comrades.

"Thanks for helping me, Kuon. But next time try to keep blood off my carpets and the fights out of view." Kyoko said dryly behind me. I winced as I surveyed my handiwork.

"I lost control over my emotions, I'm sorry." I said bowing my head sheepishly. Kyoko sighed and hugged me reassuringly.

"I understand, but you are going to have to stay in a jail cell over night." She told me pulling back slightly. I grumbled.

"Tonight's going to be just lovely." Kyoko laughed. To me her laughter sounded like bells; petite, sweet, kind, perfect bells.

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I had a fake smile on the entire time the policeman was taking my statement. I didn't help that he kept flirting with me. The young policeman was going to try to flirt with me when Yuki put his hand on my shoulder.

"Are you almost done officer? My mother wants to get business running again soon." He said curtly. The officer stared me bewildered. I rolled my eyes.

"Sorry, officer, my son's had a bit of a bad day and is a little irritable." I said flashing an apologetic smile. He blushed tipped his hat and walked a little too fast to his cruiser. I glared at Yuki.

"You know it's your fault your father's in jail?" I asked him crossing my arms over my chest. He winced.

"I know I should have told him in a less blunt way. I was worried Mio would get blood on the carpets." Yuki said innocently. Too innocently.

"Don't even think about weaseling your way out of this." I said scowling at him. He cursed under his breath. I slapped the back of his head.

"How many times do I have to tell people not to swear or curse in my restaurant?" I asked sighing. Yuki shrugged.

"I haven't been counting since I was 12, Maman." He said jokingly. I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever. After I get things sorted out I'm going home. Do you want to come with me, do you want to stay at one of the chefs' houses, or do you want Jean to drop you off at home?" I asked him tiredly. Yuki shrugged.

"I'll probably catch a ride home with Jean." I nodded and started getting things back in order. After cleaning the carpets, I went home.

~Later that night at Kyoko's apartment~

The door bell woke me up. _**Yuki must have forgotten his key.**_ I thought crawling out of bed. I staggered out of my bedroom and to the door. I opened it, and on my doorstep stood five burly men. "Excuse us, miss, we're looking for Miss Kyoko Mogami. Is she here?" One asked politely. I shook my head.

"Ms. Kyoko is with Yuki right now and I don't know when they'll be home." I lied, keeping panic and suspicion out of my voice. They nodded.

"Thank you for your help, miss, but you're coming with us now." Another one said as they all pulled out pistols. I gulped.

"Um, can I just stay here? I've had a bit of a bad day and I'm really tired." I asked letting fear seep into my voice. The first one rolled his eyes as he grabbed my arm and pulled my out of the apartment. I didn't have time to protest as one of the other four knock me out.

_**Kuon's POV**_

I had finally gotten to sleep when a guard shook me awake. I glared at him as I turned over. He flinched.

"You've got a call, buddy, says he's your son." The guard said backing up a few steps. I was wide awake after he told me Yuki had called. I grumbled and followed the guard to the phone.

"Hello? Yuki?" I asked. He paused. Not a good sign.

"I need your help, Papa. It concerns Maman." He said very quietly. I narrowed my eyes.

"What happened to Kyoko?" I asked immediately worried.

"She kind of disappeared, and someone left a note behind." Yuki replied very, very quietly. I felt the corners of my mouth turn upwards into a smile.

"That doesn't sound like something Kyoko would do, Yuki." I said in a cheery tone. "So what did the note say?" I asked him sounding genuinely curious. There was a pause which meant Yuki had flinched.

"Oh, you know the usual stuff like you see in movies." He said jokingly.

"Yuki." I said acid lacing his name.

"We have your girlfriend. If you ever want to see her alive again, come to Le Goût du Vin at five o'clock tomorrow morning." He said, almost stumbling over the words in his hastiness. I glanced at the clock. It was two thirty. Only two and a half hours left.

"I can get out of here soon, so meet me there." I told him hanging up. I turned to the guard.

"I've spent the night in a cell. May I go now?" I asked smiling gentlemanly. He nodded slowly.

"I'll go get the paperwork you need to sign." He said obviously suspicious.

"Thank you for your help." I said dryly after his back was turned. I tapped my toes impatiently inside my loafers, as I waited for the papers. I signed them as soon as they were in front of me.

"I'll make sure this is my last stay here." I said leaving. My rental was parked right out front so I could just climb in. I started the car and peeled out of the parking lot. Ten minutes later, I was pulling into a parking spot at Le Goût du Vin.. Yuki walked over to the car as I parked.

"That was fast." He commented as I stepped out of the rental. I shrugged.

"I didn't think traffic laws were as important as to finding out exactly _why_ Kyoko was kidnapped." Yuki winced. "And from what I've seen it's because of your stupidity." He nodded sheepishly.

"Can we save the lecture and story about when you were my age and you were the perfect role model?" He whined. I snorted.

"'Role model' my ass. I was a lot worse than you were until I went to Japan. I'm not saying that kind of life is right. And I haven't told your mother about it so keep it to yourself, okay?" I added sternly knowing he would use it against me. He nodded slightly reluctant.

"So what do we know about this mafia boss?" I asked him. Yuki shrugged.

"He's a doting father, and he's supposed to be on the top of the mafia food chain. That's all I know." He added. I sighed and pinch the bridge of my nose.

"How bad did you beat up his son?" I asked hoping for a miracle.

"He was in ICU for a week and in the hospital for five months." He said shrugging. I closed my eyes.

"How much of a doting father is he?" I asked still hoping for a miracle.

"Compared to the Kuu jii-chan Maman described? Almost up to par." Yuki said evenly. I sighed. _**There goes my miracle.**_

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I slowly blinked awake. I was confused by the inside of a warehouse I saw at first but then I remembered. Some bastard had knocked me out.

"Hey, the brilliant-imbeciles-who-knocked-me-out, where am I and why am I tied up?!" I asked noticing my hands and feet were bound to the chair I was sitting in. A few men, whom I assumed to be guards, glanced in my direction and chatted for a moment before one of them left to inform the mastermind of my kidnapping I had woken. A few minutes later a medium sized man dressed in a suit walked up to me.

"Good morning, Miss. I'm sorry I had to meet a beauty like you under such circumstances." He said flashing me a bright smile. I frowned at the man.

"So what did Yuki do this time? Did he steal your drugs or drug money or something?" I asked ignoring his compliment. The man frowned.

"A straight forward woman. They're quite rare these days." He added chuckling. I barely managed not to show my disgust.

"So he didn't steal anything from you. That means he messed with one of your men." I guessed. The corners of his lips twitched downwards. _**Jackpot.**_

"He or she must have been important to you for you to go so far as to kidnap me. I know Yuki's not low enough to hurt a woman so I would say it was your son. A doting father? I never would have guessed just by looking at you. But looks can be deceiving." I added smiling. The guard gapped at me as the man sucked in a sharp breath.

"That's very perseptive. What do you do?" He asked out of anything but curiosity. I shrugged.

"I own and manage a restaurant. Pays fairly well and I'm not interested in making a change." I added knowing what he was thinking. He smirked.

"Is that so? What was your _previous_ occupation?" He specified.

"Not a spy or informant." I replied smiling impishly. I knew I was dancing on a fine line, but it was only a matter of time before he cracked.


	6. Chapter 5

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I watched slightly amused as the man turned a shade of red and he raised his fists. But slowly he regained his control and lowered his firsts.

"Miss, I'm a fun loving guy but even I have my limits." He said harshly. I smirked.

"I have met many men who have shorter tempers than yours, and I'm still alive aren't I? I know when to stop with my games, and when I can still play them." I said curtly. The man bit his lip.

"I have tried to be nice but it seems I need to change tactics." He said grinning. He motioned to one of the guards.

"Bring me one of my knives." The man said still grinning at me. I smirked.

"I'm not scared of knives, considering I use them every day." I told him sweetly. He shrugged.

"You don't have to fear a knife to feel the pain it inflicts." He retorted. His control was beginning to crack.

"I was an actress before I came to France. I really loved my job but I wouldn't have been able to stay in the industry and take care of Yuki." I told him. The man looked at me blankly.

"I'm Mogami Kyoko, Yuki's mother. Nice to meet you." I said a cheerful grin on my face. He gained a thoughtful expression.

"Wait, Kyoko as in the Japanese actress Kyoko? The one who played Mio in _Dark Moon_ and Natsu in _Box 'R'_?" He asked baffled. I stared at him blankly.

"You watch Japanese dramas?" I asked utterly shocked. He nodded. I laughed.

"This is too ironic. Yuki wants to be an actor like his parents. His father had to spend the night in jail. And I get kidnapped by a fan because my son beat up his son." I said between fits. He laughed.

"That is ironic." He agreed. He untied my binds.

"Sorry, sometimes I get carried away with things when my son's involved." He apologized. I shrugged as I rubbed my sore wrists.

"Every parent wants to protect its child even if it means doing the extreme." I said flashing him an understanding smile.

"How about you drop me off at Le Goût du Vin and we call it even?" I proposed. He nodded.

"I just realized I never introduced myself. I'm Louise Peur." He said extending a hand. I happily shook it.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Peur." I said smiling.

_**Kuon's POV**_

My rage and anger built with each second that passed. I was about to blow when a black limousine pulled up. I watched curiously as a woman with raven hair dressed in panda pajamas stepped out and waved goodbye to its other occupant as the limousine pulled away. It took me a moment to realize it was Kyoko.

"Kyoko? Why the hell did you just step out of a limousine?! Weren't you kidnapped?!" I yelled running over to her. Kyoko looked behind her at her name and smile her beautiful smile as she me.

"Kuon, you're out of jail! That's great. I was just talking about you with Mr. Peur." Kyoko said happily as she hugged me. I stared down at her utterly confused.

"'Mr. Peur'?" I asked her sliding my arms around her. She nodded into my chest.

"Yeah, the mafia boss who kidnapped me. He's actually a big fan of Dark Moon and Box 'R'. After he learned I played Mio and Natsu he let me go and forgave Yuki." I stared down at her perplexed. Part of me was relief and overjoyed that Kyoko was back into my arms. But another part of me was enraged that she had been peacefully chatting with her kidnapper without the slightest bit of suspicion.

"Um, Kuon, can you let me go? Yuki looks like he's about to rip your arms off of me." Kyoko said looking up at me. I lost myself in the depths of her clear innocent amber eyes. I closed my eyes and took a step back releasing her. As she walked over to Yuki, I tried to get my emotions back in check. _**Damn, she's the only one who could make me lose my 'perfect' control.**_ I chuckled to myself as I ran a hand through my short blonde hair.**_ Kyoko's the only woman who could ever win my heart._**

**_Kyoko's POV_**

Yuki was fussing over the bruises on my wrists and checking for any other injuries I might have.

"Are you sure you're okay, Maman?" He asked grasping my shoulder and looking directly in my eyes. I laughed.

"You're the one who checked almost every inch of my body for injuries you tell me." I said patting his shoulder. He blushed and grumbled.

"I know you were worried, Yuki. But I'm perfectly okay." I ruffled his hair to get my point across. I yawned and walked over to the front door. I pulled back the mat and picked up the spare key of Le Goût du Vin.

"You keep a spare key under the door mat of your restaurant?" Kuon asked right beside my ear. I jumped and nearly dropped the key.

"Don't sneak up on me, Kuon. You know perfectly well I don't like it." I huffed. He grinned.

"I do know you don't like it but that's what makes it fun." He said giving me a wink. I scowled at him.

"You're always like this! Being nice one minute than teasing me the next! Sometimes I wonder how I even fell in love with you!" I said irritated. Kuon smirked. I shot him a suspicious look.

"So you fell in love with me, did you?" He asked slyly. I mentally kicked myself. I had walked right into that.

"So what if I did?" I asked crossing my arms. He shrugged.

"All it means is that your mine." Kuon said simply. I could feel my eyebrow twitch.

"Kuon, are you trying to make me mad?" I asked him in a sickly sweet voice. He smiled.

"Not at all, my dear." He replied. I clenched my teeth, and rammed the key into the lock. I opened the door and held it open.

"You get the back bedroom this time, Yuki." I told him as he entered. He nodded.

"It would be a good idea if you went back to your hotel." I told Kuon as I went inside. I locked the door behind me and headed to the front bedroom. Sometimes I used to spend nights preparing dishes with some of the others chefs so I had some rooms added so that we didn't have to drive home after we finished with the tiring work. I flopped down on the bed and went to sleep.

_**Kuon's POV**_

~That Saturday, the filming site of Black Moonlight~

I took a sip from my water bottle and handed it to Yashiro. Due to personally reasons he had to catch a different flight.

"Kuon, I've been meaning to ask you... Why were you in jail overnight?" He asked curiously. I shrugged.

"Some hoodlums were making trouble at the restaurant I was having lunch at so I stepped in." It was the truth, just not the whole truth. Yashiro gave me a suspicious look.

"Were the hoodlums troubling a petite waitress with chestnut brown or black hair, innocent amber eyes, and around the age of 35?" He asked slyly. I sighed.

"Do you have to twist everything to be about _her_?" I asked suddenly feeling tired.

"After you published _Heartache Dreams _I didn't say anything. I've heard rumors of Kyoko sightings so it's logical if I suspect it has something to do with her." He said defensively. I whistled. Yashiro had been working on his 'reasons'.

"Well, it doesn't really matter. You were right." I said and glanced at him from the corner of my eye. His face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"So did you find her or just someone who looks like her?" He asked pulling out a small notebook. I sighed.

"I'll tell you over lunch." I said shaking my head. Shiroto-san walked over to us.

"Kuon, what was the name of the restaurant from the other day? I haven't found a location to shoot the restaurant scenes and when I was there it seemed like the perfect place to shoot them." He explained.

"Wait a minute. He," Yashiro pointed at me. "Ate lunch without someone forcing him to?" He asked disbelief in every damn syllable. Shiroto-san nodded slowly.

"Yes, he even invited the cast and crew to come with him." Yashiro stared at me.

"I'll explain later." I told him quietly. "The name of the restaurant we ate at yesterday was Le Goût du Vin." I said to Shiroto-san. He nodded and walked off.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, Kuon." Yashiro warned as I walked on set. _**Great. Just great.**_

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I grumbled as someone shook me awake.

"Five more minutes." I whined throwing my pillow halfheartedly at whoever was trying to wake me up.

"Maman, the Saturday lunch rush is starting and if you don't get up now the chef and I will be overwhelmed with all the orders." Yuki said pulling my nice, warm, comfy sheet out from under me. I ended up doing a face plant into the floor.I got up only to have my cooking clothes thrown into my face.

"I'm going back to the kitchen. If you aren't there in five minutes I'm getting Jeanne to drag you to the kitchen." He threatened leaving. Jeanne was my head chef and second most trusted friend. I stared after him surprised. Yuki was an excellent cook, but he didn't really like cooking and that was one of the reasons why I taught him how to make Grue Brique Geleé di Vins. I hurriedly changed out of my panda PJs and into the white shirt and black slacks. Yuki was an excellent cook, but he didn't really like cooking and that was one of the reasons why I taught him how to make Grue Brique Geleé di Vins. I hurriedly changed out of my panda PJs and into the white shirt and black slacks. I went into the dining area and made my way to the kitchen.

"Status, Jeanne, Yuki." I called as I walked in. A few chefs glanced up as I walked in but immediately went back to work. Jeane was busy watching over the other chefs so Yuki answered.

"It's running smoothly for now. The first batch of wine jellies is done and I'm making the second right now. Either go take orders or take over for the wine jellies." He said not bothering to look up from his work. I nodded, grabbed an apron, and handed Yuki a order book.

_**Kuon's POV**_

It took me a few minutes to find a parking spot at Le Goût du Vin.

"Looks like we hit the lunch rush." I commented climbing out. Yashiro narrowed his eyes.

"There's something going on that you're not telling me." He accused me. I faked a hurt look.

"I'm offend, Yashiro. You're not only my manager but also my friend and future best man." Once the words had left me mouth I knew I had said too much.

"So you're considering marriage again?" He asked smiling slyly. I sighed as he opened the door. Yashiro stopped, took off his glasses, cleaned them and put them on again.

"Uh, Kuon, is it just me or is there a mini you in there with black hair?" He asked pointing to Yuki who was taking an order.

"He does look like me at that age." I said. Yashiro shook his head.

"If I keep looking at him I'm going come up with a crazy fantasy where he's your and Kyoko's son." He mumbled. I chuckled. He was so close yet so far. Yashiro shook his head as we waited in line for a table. The door opened behind and in came two raven haired beauties. The older of the two was scowling while the younger one was looking excited.

"Ah, come on, Okaa-san. This is the only place that the Yuki is regularly sighted." The younger one said noticing her mother's scowl. _**Fan girls already?**_ I held back a chuckle. Her mother shook her head.

"I don't know why you wanted to come here, Hime. God, knows what your father is doing on set right now and you want to eat here." She said in a disapproving tone. They seemed familiar somehow. **_Wait a minute. Isn't that Kotonami-chan?_**


	7. Chapter 6

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I finished the sixth batch of Grue Brique Geleé di Vins and let of a tired sigh. When I first took over the restaurant I introduced the Grue Brique Geleé di Vin recipe it sold very well do I decided that every Saturday customers would get a free Grue Brique Geleé di Vin with each meal. Many of the other apprentices thought I stole one of Mignon-san's recipes and was using it as my own. The lunch rush was finally beginning to die down. I grabbed an order book and headed to the main dining section. I was surprised to see Kuon and Yashiro. I smiled as I walked up to their table.

"Are you ready to order?" I asked. Yashiro nodded, not looking up from his menu. Kuon glanced up at me and smiled.

"I'll have the Fettuccini Carbonara." Yashiro said setting down his menu.

"I'll have the Grue Brique special." Kuon said chuckling quietly. Yashiro raise an eyebrow and glanced at me. I waved at him.

"Hello, Yashiro. Did you just arrive today?" I asked remembering he wasn't here when Kuon had come in. He nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I had to go to my little sister's wedding. So you're working as a waitress now?" Yashiro asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Why does everyone guess that first? No, I actually own Le Goût du Vin. It's not very busy now so Yuki hustled me out of the kitchen so he didn't have to take orders." I added chuckling. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Who's Yuki?" Yashiro asked. I looked at him blankly.

"You didn't tell him?" I asked Kuon. He shrugged.

"I didn't want to deal with his questions." I shook my head.

"I knew he got his laziness from you." I muttered. Yashiro had a lost expression on.

"Okay, you two are telling me what exactly going on." He said. I shrugged.

"Do you want to tell him or should I go find Yuki?" I asked Kuon. He rolled his eyes.

"I'll do it. Yashiro would probably faint if Yuki told him." I nodded.

"He's going to want prove so I'll go find Yuki." I said and walked off.

_**Kuon's POV**_

I sighed as Kyoko walked away. Yashiro was glaring at me waiting for whatever information I had.

"I'll tell you but all that I'm about to tell you is top secret so you can't say a word to anyone about it." I told him. He nodded cautiously.

"It's about the reason Kyoko left." I started. Yashiro's eye grew slighter wider. "I don't know how it happened but she got pregnant. I don't know where she got the crazy idea to runaway to France but she did and now Kyoko is here living with her 15 year old son, Yuki. You saw him earlier." I added. Slowly the wheels started turning in Yashiro's mind.

"There was a rumor that about three months before the location shoot for _Emerald Empress_ Kyoko was seen leaving your hotel room. The president, Kuu-san, and I asked you about it but you were so shocked at the idea we thought it wasn't true…" He trailed off and looked at me. I shrugged.

"I don't remember much of what happened after the end of _Dark Moon_ party. I woke up in my hotel room alone and there was no evidence of anything else so I thought I just went to sleep that." I said. It was true. I'd woken up in an empty hotel room with no evidence of wine bottles, wine glasses, someone else's clothes or anything that might have pointed to someone else being in the room. Yashiro nodded.

"So what's this son of yours like?" He asked. I could imagine the fantasies floating around in his head. I rolled my eyes.

"He's almost exactly like me at that age." I said. Yashiro's eyes were glazed over as he was lost in his little fantasy world. I chuckled as I imagined the look on his face as his fantasies were crushed.

"Kyaa! It's Yuki." Someone screamed a few tables away. A few seconds later Yuki was rounding the corner and dived under the closeted table which happened to be mine. Suddenly, Hime came around the corner searching for a poor Yuki. Even though she was only 12 she looked more like a 16 year old with her white strapless tunic, black jeans, and low wedge black heels.

"Kuon ji-chan!" She exclaimed as she saw me. I waved her over.

"Hime-chan, it's been a while." I said as she came over. She shrugged.

"Otou-san's been filming a movie about this teleporter so we have to do a lot of location shoots around the world. It's been two months since I've been home." Hime said rolling her eyes.

"So Hiou-kun's doing some filming in Paris?" I asked taking a sip of my water. She nodded.

"Yeah, I'm so lucky this restaurant was close by, too." She said a dreamy look on her face. I bit my lip.

"Why were you lucky this restaurant was close by?" I asked pretending I didn't know the answer to my own question.

"This restaurant is the only place this super hot guy from a picture I found online is seen regularly and I wanted to see him for myself. He has a reputation of being a great street fighter but he doesn't actually start the fights. The other party usual picks fights with him. And after a bit a digging I found out his okaa-san is the owner of this restaurant and is Japanese like us." Hime said an excited and dreamy face on. I just nodded my head knowing that if I opened my mouth I would go into a laughing fit.

"What's the name of this 'super hot' street fighter?" Yashiro asked curiously. I bit my lip.

"His name's Mogami Yuki. Isn't it funny how his surname is the same as Kyoko ba-chan?" She said meaning no harm whatsoever. Yashiro looked at her blankly then glanced at me.

"He's almost exactly like you at that age?" He asked weakly becoming pale. I nodded.

"I used to be like that, but after going to Japan I matured quite a bit." I said. Translation: after I came to Japan I learned how to hide and control my dark emotions. He shivered.

"Anyway, Kuon ji-chan, did you see him? He has short black hair, grey eyes, and really tall for a Japanese man." Hime said glancing at Yashiro's expression. I shook my head.

"I haven't seen anyone matching that description." I told her. She nodded a bit dejected. She gave me a little wave before heading back to her table.

"It's okay to come out now." I told Yuki glancing under the table. He slowly crawled out and looked around to make sure the coast was clear.

"I didn't think Hime-san would know about me. Hell, I had no idea pictures of me were online." He added quietly. Suddenly a petite hand slapped the back of his head. I looked up to see Kyoko with her black hair tied back in a ponytail.

"Do I have to put a sign up that says no swearing inside this restaurant?" She asked shaking her head. I chuckled.

"Yuki's just being a teenage boy, Kyoko. He's going to let out a swear word every once and a while." I said grinning. Kyoko rolled her eyes.

"Says the man who has never sworn in his whole life." She said frostily. I shook my head.

"That is an assumption. I have never once said I have never sworn." I said defensively. She raised an eyebrow.

"So the great gentleman Tsuruga Ren aka Hizuri Kuon has sworn sometime in his lifetime?" Kyoko asked curiously. I chuckled.

"Just asked Otou-san. I used to be quite the rebellious brat." I said truthfully. She laughed.

"It seems I learn something new every day." She said with one of her charming grins on her face. I mirrored her smile.

"Well, I have one think that's not new that I want you to know." I whispered to Kyoko. She blushed lightly.

"I have a feeling I know what it is and I want you to know the same thing too." She whispered back.

_**Kyoko's POV**_

My heart was beating so fast I thought it would fly out of my chest. It practically stopped when I made eye contact with a raven haired beauty with grey eyes, Moko-san. She was frozen staring wide eyed at me and Yuki. I watched as anger filled her eyes. I dived under the table before she exploded.

"MOGAMI KYOKO, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. Yuki fell over from surprise and laid still until she stopped. I slowly poked my head out.

"I'm sorry. I didn't tell you much in the phone call, Moko-san. But I was scared." I told her crawling out. She stomped over and grabbed me in a tight hug, rendering me stunned.

"Don't ever make me worry like that again." Moko-san ordered, a few tears spilling over. After recovering I patted her on the back.

"I'm sorry, Moko-san. I just wanted what was best for Kuon and Yuki." I whispered softly as me own tears fell.

"Um, Kotonami-san?" Yuki asked nervously. She glared up at him.

"What?" She asked.

"Um, people are starting to stare." He said withering under Moko-san's glare. She immediately released me and stood up blushing. Kuon pulled out his cell phone and took a picture.

"And send. Hiou-kun is going to love that picture." He said with a smirk. Moko-san growled and lunged for the phone. Kuon moved it just out of her reach. She scowled at him and lunged for the phone again, this time knocking it out of his hand but facing planting into the floor in the process. I picked up the phone and deleted Moko-san's picture.

"Kuon, didn't I tell you not to bully others?" I asked shooting him a disappointed look. He shrugged.

"I'm not bullying anyone, I'm just teasing her." He said taking his cell phone out of my hand. I rolled my eyes.

"Kyaa! Yuki!" A voice screamed. Immediately Yuki took off running, not bothering to see who it was. A young raven haired beauty sprinted after Yuki. I recognized her from the picture Kuon had shown me.

"How does Hime know Yuki?" I asked Moko-san, staring after the two.

"She found his picture online and thought he was cute, so she went digging. She fell in love with him after hearing how he was living with his single mother and helping out with her business. Hime likes he's 'sweet', 'kind', and 'sensitive'." She said rolling her eyes. I laughed.

"My son, Yuki, is sweet, kind and sensitive?" I asked laughing harder. Kuon chuckled. Even Moko-san laughed quietly.

"So what brings you to France, Moko-san?" I asked as I helped her up.

"Hiou's doing a location shoot for a movie in Paris. Hime and I have been tagging along on his other locations shoot so she can see what it's like in countries besides Japan." She explained with a shrug.

"So how long are you staying here?" Moko-san shrugged.

"Until Hiou's shoot is over which should be four or five days" She said. I smiled.

"Come in for dinner some time, just you and Hiou-kun. Let me know ahead of time and I'll prepare a table for you." I said with a wink.

A/N

Recently I've been having major writers' block so the nixt chapter might be a while.


	8. Chapter 7

_**Kuon's POV**_

_~A few days later in Le Goût du Vin's parking lot~_

_**Come on, Kuon. You can do it! You're just asking going to ask her to dinner. It's not like your proposing. Even if she turns you down it's not the end of the world. **_I reassured myself._** Right?**_ I banged my head on the steering wheel.

"When did I become such a coward?" I mumbled to myself. Yashiro was smirking in the passenger seat.

"That's love, Kuon. You're afraid of asking her out because you think it'll scare her and ruin your relationship." He said trying to conceal his smirk and failing. I sighed.

"There's not much of a relationship left. I mean if Kyoko loved me why didn't she come back to Japan after she read _Heartache Dreams_?" I asked him adding to my own misery in the process. Yashiro shrugged.

"Maybe she thought if she went back to Japan with Yuki it would come out that he's your son and ruin your acting career." He suggested. I looked at him skeptically.

"After reading Heartache Dreams, which seem more important Kyoko or my career as an actor?" I asked him bitterly. Yashiro shivered.

"Kuon, remember this Kyoko we're talking about. Do you remember how dense she was when she was still in Love Me section?" He reminded me. I nodded.

"Yes, I remember. Sometimes I wonder if I should have told her straight out I was in love with her." I added and winced. I glanced at Yashiro and groaned inwardly. He was grinning ear to ear.

"You finally admitted it." He said triumphantly. I rolled my eyes.

"I admitted it to myself, the president, and my otou-san before I admitted it to you, Yashiro." I told him removing my head from the steering wheel. He grinned.

"Finally summed up the nerve to go inside?" He asked. I shook my head.

"I'll never sum up enough nerve to go inside, but I thought I might as well get it over with." I said stepping out of my rental. Yashiro smirked.

"Go get her, Kuon." He said as I closed the door. I rolled my eyes, took a deep breath and walked inside.

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I glared at Yuki, he'd tied my to a chair after I had dozed off.

"Yuki, untie me now. Or do you want to face the consequences?" I asked him. He knew very well what he would face for this.

"Maman, you've been working non-stop for the last three days. I am not having you collapse from exhaustion when you're cooking. Remember the last time that happened?" Yuki reminded me. I winced.

"I'm fine, Yuki. How about I just wait tables today?" I suggested. He shook his head. He walked over to the corner and grabbed a roll of duct tape. I glared at him.

"You wouldn't dare." I hissed. Yuki smiled.

"Oh, yes I would." He said as he taped my mouth shut. Soon he had my arms taped to my sides and my legs taped together. I glared at him silently as I tried to escape my binds.

"You're the one who wouldn't take it easy, Maman. I just want to make sure you don't hurt yourself, or anyone else." Yuki said as he slung me over his shoulder. I wiggled and flailed in an attempt to escape his grasp. He walked through the main dining section not even noticing the stares from customers. _**He's **_**so**_** going to get it when I get out of this duct tape.**_ I thought darkly. A group of kids laughed at me as we passed their table. I glared at them devilishly. They flinched and started crying. I mentally kicked myself. Yuki opened the door to the front bedroom and tossed my on the bed.

"I'll come and untie you after closing time." He said closing the door behind him. I sighed and closed my eyes. I was exhausted. So exhausted I couldn't use my demons.

_**Kuon's POV**_

I froze with my hand on the door as I saw Yuki carrying Kyoko over his shoulder out of the kitchen tied up with duct tape.

"Lost your nerve already, Kuon?" Yashiro asked sticking his head out the open car window. I shook my head.

"I think Kyoko's busy." I said opening the car door.

"Why would you think that?" He asked as I climbed in.

"Because Yuki was carrying her over his shoulder and she was tied up with duct tape." I said chuckling. After a moment of silence Yashiro burst out laughing.

"He was actually able to tie her up? Remember that one time with Fuwa Sho when he tried to put his arm around her waist?" He said cracking up even more. I chuckled.

Fuwa when guest starred on _Dark Moon_, during break he got the crazy idea he could put his arm around Kyoko's waist. His hand was about two centimeters from her waist when Fuwa froze, and crashed face first into the ground, landing on his out stretched arm, without anyone touching him. He ended up with a broken nose and a broken arm. That was one of my favorite memories of _Dark Moon_.

"That was a priceless moment." I said as Yashiro's laughter calmed down. He nodded in agreement.

"I regret I didn't get a picture of it, though." He said sighing softly. I smirked and pulled out my cell.

"Just because you didn't doesn't mean I didn't." I said handing him my phone. On the screen was a picture of Fuwa when his face was about to hit the ground. Yashiro grinned at the picture.

"So this was the picture on the dart broad in your apartment." He said chuckling. I looked at him blankly.

"I don't have a dart broad in my apartment." I said. I actually did have one with that picture of Fuwa on it but it was stashed away in the one place Yashiro would never look.

"You thought I would never look for something like that in the kitchen, especially under the sink, didn't you?" He asked a satisfied smirk on his face. I cursed under my breath. He chuckled.

"I forget what I was actually looking for but it really surprised me when I found that dart broad. I never figured you for a darts kind of guy." Yashiro added. He was right, too. _**Thank God, he didn't find the shooting targets.**_ I thought with an inward sigh of relief. Suddenly someone knocked on my window. Yuki was standing beside the car a relieved expression on his face. I rolled down the window.

"Do you need something, Yuki?" I asked him. He shrugged.

"No, but could take Maman to dinner tonight?" He asked. Yashiro and I stared at him.

"Why?" I asked cautiously.

"Maman's been working non-stop for the last few days and she needs to relax. I have her tied up in one of the bedrooms but she's not going to be too happy when she wakes up and I'm worried she'll vent through cooking and the same thing will keep happening over and over and over again." Yuki explained. I smiled.

"I'll take her out to dinner. Let's just hope the restaurant chef isn't too insulted when she points out what's wrong with his dishes." I added chuckling. He smiled and nodded.

"You can pick her up around ten o'clock. Don't be late." He added shivering. I nodded knowing all too well why Yuki was shivering.

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I let out a muffled grumble as someone shook me awake. Suddenly they ripped the duct tape off my mouth. I let out a small yelp and turned to glare at Yuki.

"Why you little brat! First you tell me to take a break and here you are waking me up and ripping the duct tape off without warning!" I hissed at him. He shrugged.

"I'm waking you up so you can get ready for dinner. Your date is going to be here in 15 minutes. That's just enough time to get changed and put on make-up." Yuki said as he tossed my ice blue sleeveless, knee length evening dress, a pair of white heels, my make-up bag and a small white hand bag. I shocked speechless.

"Yuki, did you set me up on a date without permission?" I asked him trying to keep my voice stern but failing miserably. He nodded sheepishly.

"Yeah, but please don't kill me until after the date. Because who knows? Maybe you'll thank me." He said backing out the door. If I was fully recovered from my exhaustion Yuki would've been dead meat. I sighed and changed into the dress and heels. I grabbed my make-up bag and headed to the bathroom.

I lightly applied some sky blue eye shadow, a little bit of pink lip gloss, and a hint of blush. I was about to zip up my make-up bag when a pair of dangly diamond earrings caught my eye. I had received them from Otou-san after I beat Sho as a congratulations gift. I smiled tenderly as I placed them in my ears. I didn't usually wear earrings but I wore them enough that the holes didn't heal closed. I grabbed the hand bag, checked its contents and went off in search of Yuki. A few heads turned as I walked to the kitchen. I pushed the door open and stomped my way towards Yuki.

"Um, Ma'am, you aren't allowed in here unless you're one of the staff." Jean said grabbing my arm. I glared at him.

"You have five seconds to let go of my arm, Jean, before I rip it off." I hissed at him. He immediately retracted his hand. I stomped my way to Yuki and hit him repeatedly with my hand bag.

"What the hell were you thinking putting _that_ in here and not my cell phone?!" I screamed at him as I stopped my assault. Yuki was hunched over with his hands protecting his head.

"Okay, I deserved that." He said standing up properly. "But knowing your date I doubt a cell phone is necessary." He added. I gritted my teeth.

"I am going to tell Hime all of your most embarrassing stories for when you were three months old to present day." I hissed at him, chuckling darkly at his horrified expression.

"You wouldn't." Yuki said quietly. I smiled maliciously.

"Oh, yes I would, my dear son, Yuki. Yes, I would." I said in a Mio-like tone. He gulped.

"I'm sorry, I set you up on a date without your permission." He whispered. I shrugged.

"Apologies won't help you, nothing will." I whispered into his ear. Yuki was sinking farther and farther into despair but at that moment I didn't care.

"Not even if your date is Papa?" He asked a tiny light of hope left in his eyes. I hadn't expected that so I had no idea how to respond.

"Maybe." I whispered to both Yuki and myself.


	9. Chapter 8

_**Kuon's POV**_

_~At Le Goût du Vin ~_

I took a deep breath, and looked down at me clothes checking for the 100th time if what I was wearing okay. I was wearing a navy dress shirt with the top four buttons undone, charcoal slacks, and black dress shoes. I sighed and went inside.

I stopped breathing the moment I walked in the door. Leaning against the wall was Kyoko dressed in a knee length ice blue sleeveless dress that slid gracefully over her curves, a matching wrap, strappy white heels, and a simple white hand bag. Her make-up was simple but faltering. The eye shadow accented her amber eyes nicely. The lip gloss made her lips look absolutely delicious. And her black hair fell in a wavy curtain to her waist. She looked over as the door chimed.

"Ah, Kuon, you're here." Kyoko said a smile creeping onto her face. "And looking quite charming." She added taking in my attire.

"You look quite beautiful yourself." I said a smile spreading across my face. I watched amused as a crimson blush crept into her cheeks.

"Thank you. Yuki and Jeanne picked it out for tonight." Kyoko said looking at her feet. I chuckled.

"They just want to make sure you have some fun and relaxation once in a while." I told her walking towards her. I offered her my arm. "Shall we head out for our date, my dear Kyoko?" I asked a mischievous twinkle in my eyes. She giggled.

"Quite the gentleman as usual." She said as she took my arm. "Let us enjoy ourselves tonight." Kyoko added an impish glint in her eyes as we walked out the door. I smirked.

"Tonight will be a night you'll never forget." I whispered as I opened her door. She smiled mischievously.

"Let the games begin."

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I raised an eyebrow as Kuon pulled up outside a popular restaurant. Jeanne had roped me into a girls night out a few years back. We went out for a meal and some dancing and stumbled upon this restaurant.

"I always find that dancing a good way to shake the stress away." He said with a wink. I smiled and rolled my eyes.

"Fine, but don't complain if I accidentally step on your toes. Dancing has never been my forte." I added stepping out of the car. I left my hand bag in the car and followed Kuon inside. The restaurant was quite crowded so it took us a few minutes to find and get to an open table. We sat down and started looking over the menus.

"So what are you going to drink?" He asked as he made his selection. I pursed my lips.

"Probably the L'eau de Rose martini." I said skimming over the menu a bit more. "What are you going to drink?" I asked setting down my menu.

"I'm going to get the Noir Aube." Kuon replied setting down his menu.

"So how is everyone at LME?" I asked wanting to see how everyone was doing. He smiled.

"Maria is currently running a small black magic shop in Tokyo and is doing quite well. She also has a steady boyfriend. Sawara retired a few years ago. The president is the same as always. He keeps adding new additions to Love Me section as well." He added with a chuckle. I giggled.

"Sometimes I miss wearing that neon pink uniform." I told him sadly. Kuon smirked.

"Since you disappeared before you graduated from Love Me section if you return to LME you would be placed back in Love Me section." He said teasingly. I rolled my eyes.

"Unless there was a France LME I wouldn't be able to go back into Love Me section. It's not like I can just go back to Japan. I have Le Goût du Vin to take care of and I also would have to worry about the transition of moving to a different country for Yuki." I said dryly. He nodded.

"It would be a change. But wouldn't Yuki like to see the land where his ancestors lived?" He asked. I nodded.

"Yes, he's been bugging me for years to take him to Japan on vacation one year. Knowing Yuki he would refuse to leave and I would have to drag him on the plane." I added shaking my head. Kuon chuckled.

"That does sound like him. As for Le Goût du Vin aren't the other apprentices always harassing you about giving them ownership? Why not just give it to one of them?" He asked. I scowled at him.

"It's not that easy. Mignon-san entrusted me with Le Goût du Vin because his other apprentices had lost the passion for cooking. If I just turn it over to them I would be doing the exact thing Mignon-san had been dreading to do before I came along." I said annoyed. Kuon shrugged.

"Couldn't you turn it over to your head chef? If you chose them I'm sure they're passionate about cooking." He suggested. I nodded.

"I could, but Jeanne doesn't know the recipe for Grue Brique Geleé di Vins. Only Yuki and I know it." I added. Kuon cocked an eyebrow.

"He got my cooking skills. His first time cooking he didn't burn, explode, and/or became poisonous." I added. I chuckled as I remember Kuon's first cooking lessons.

_*Flashback*_

"_Kyoko, is the stew supposed to be black?" Ren asked holding up a ladle of blackish gunk. I stared at him in disbelief. I had given him one of the simplest recipes on earth and he turned it into an unrecognizable slop._

"_No, it's not!" I cried picking up the pot and placing in the sink. "What did you do?! I left you alone for two minutes and _this_ happens!" I practically yelled as I examined what was left of the pot. He winced._

"_I don't know. I followed your directions and it started turning black. So we try it to see if it's salvageable?" Ren asked looking at the blackish substance. I stared at him in disbelief._

"_Ren, this might be categorized as _biological warfare_." I said as I turned on the faucet. Suddenly the black gunk exploded. Thankfully my demons shielded me from the worst of the blast but my hair and clothes were covered in black sludge. Ren smiled sheepishly._

"_Maybe I should just stick to TV dinners and take out." He suggested. I nodded._

_*End flashback.*_

Kuon hung his head.

"Please don't remind me of that." He said through gritted teeth. I laughed.

"So have you had any recent cooking adventures?" I asked teasingly. He winced and nodded.

"I tried baking." He said quietly. I burst out laughing.

"What did you try to make? A cake? Cookies? Brownies? What?" I asked calming down slightly. Kuon buried his head and murmured something.

"What?" I asked leaning closer. He glanced up at me.

"I tried to bake biscuits with Maria." He mumbled blushing. I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

"How did they turn out?" I asked. Kuon looked me straight in the eye.

"They were worse than the stew." He said quietly. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I was laughing so hard I had to brace myself against the table. Kuon scowled at me.

"I'm sorry, but it's hard to believe anything was worse than the stew." I said after I'd calmed down. He looked down at the table.

"Maria called in a hazardous waste disposal team." He whispered. I laughed.

"Kuon, please you're killing me." I managed to say without going into a laughing fit. He scowled at me.

"Well, sorry for being a bad cook. Remember I never learned to cook when I was young." He pointed out. I shrugged as a waitress came over to our table.

"Hi, may I take your drink order?" She asked Kuon not even sparing me a glance.

"I'll have a Noir Aube and she'll have an L'eau de Rose martini." He said glancing at from the corner of his eye. The waitress glanced at me assessing how much of a threat I was to her. As she took in my make-up hair, hair, and attire she gritted her teeth.

"I'll get right on those." She said plastering a plastic smiled on her face. As she walked away Kuon chuckled.

"She doesn't seem to like you." He said teasingly. I rolled my eyes.

"Of course she doesn't like me. I have the attention of one of the most handsome gentleman in Japan. I mean who wouldn't want your attention?" I asked raising an eyebrow. He chuckled.

"Well I think she's jealous because of how beautiful you are." Kuon said smiling sweetly. I blushed. The music changed to a slow song and he stood up.

"May I have this dance?" He asked offering a hand and bowing slightly. I laughed and took his hand.

"I apologize in advance for any broken toes." I said as he led me to the dance floor. I stretched to place my left hand on Kuon's shoulder. He chuckled as he put his right hand on my waist.

"A little too petite, are we?" He teased. I scowled playfully at him.

"No, you're just too tall." I said craning my neck to look at him. Kuon smiled and leaned down.

"Well, being tall means I can carry you without much effort so it's not so bad." He whispered into my ear. I purposely stepped on his toes. He faked a wince. I smiled satisfied.

"Being small means I can squeeze in and out of your grasp easily." I said winking. He gave me a loopy grin.

"Shall we experiment after dinner?" Kuon asked teasingly. I shrugged.

"You can try alone. I have to make sure Yuki goes to bed before one so I have to be home before 12:30. Sort of like Cinderella." I added. He bit his lip and looked straight over my head. I blushed.

"Go ahead and laugh. You're remembering my first Love Me section job, right?" I asked looking at my white heels.

"I'm sorry but the dreamy look on your face when you came out from the dressing room was funny." He said laughing softly. I scowled at him.

"I was 16 and love deprived. But now I'm a single mother of a teenage boy and an owner of a restaurant I don't have time to daydream." I said dryly. Kuon looked down at me.

"But you deserve time to daydream, Kyoko. Take a day off and have some excitement. Hand the restaurant over to Yuki and Jeanne for a day and go to the fair or go shopping or do something you want to do." He said in an almost pleading tone. His eyes were full of worry. I smiled softly.

"Okay, I'll take this Sunday off and do something." I said rolling my eyes. Kuon smiled.

"How about I take you out for a day on the town?" He asked. I narrowed my eyes.

"How long are you here for filming?" I asked. He shrugged.

"Filming ends next Tuesday. I already finished most of my scenes so I'm free most of the time I'm here." He said avoiding my eyes.

"Kuon, are trying to film a lot scenes in only a few days?" I asked firmly. He looked away sheepishly. I shook my head.

"Do you want to get sick again? If you're going to try and pack as many scenes as you can in a day then I am going to go on set, drag your ass to Le Goût du Vin, tie you up, and throw you into one of the bedrooms. Do you understand, Kuon?" I asked him. He looked down at me and smiled.

"Is that a promise?" He asked. I rolled my eyes.

"It was supposed to be a threat, but a promise with work too. I'll make sure Yashiro calls me when you're over doing it." I said smiling up at him. His smile began more tender and beautiful the longer I looked at it.

"So if I don't overdo it what will I receive in return?" Kuon asked slyly. I giggled.

"Well, how about a date on the day before you go back to Japan?" I suggested. He shook his head.

"How about a date and you come to Japan over summer break?" He asked leaning down so our faces were only inches apart. I rolled my eyes.

"Fine, but I just have to ask. Did Yuki tell you when summer break starts?" I asked him dead serious. He raised an eyebrow and shook his head.

"No, why?" Kuon asked cautiously. _**Goddamn coincidences.**_

"Summer break starts on Monday." I said smirking. "Looks like we'll be on the same plane to Japan."


	10. Chapter 9

_**Kuon's POV**_

I laughed.

"That's just rich." I said in between bits of laughter. Kyoko scowled.

"It's not that funny, Kuon." She said pouting, which made her quite cute. I smiled and shrugged.

"It's ironic. So do we still have that date?" I asked slyly. She smirked. _**Damn.**_

"I don't think so. But you can still accompany me on Sunday." Kyoko added a sweet smile playing on her lips. I smiled.

"So are you ready to go back to our table and start looking over the meal menus?" I asked as the song changed. She nodded and I led her back to our table where the waitress had delivered our drinks in our absence.

My drink was as black as the name suggested where Kyoko's was a cheerful bright pink. Complete opposites, just like us. I pulled Kyoko's chair out for her. She smiled.

"Thank you." She said as she sat down. I smiled as I sat down across from her.

"Any time." I replied picking up the menus and handed one to Kyoko. She opened it and began to skim through it. I barely glanced at my menu. I was too busy watching Kyoko try to make a decision. She would purse her lips and mumble to herself every so often or pout. Each time cuter than the last.

Whenever Kyoko would look up I'd turn my attention back to the menu in my hands.

"Have you decided already, Kuon?" She asked as she set down her menu with a sigh.

"Not yet." I said skimming over my menu. Since I didn't have much of an appetite I decided on a small chicken caesar salad. I folded my menu and set it on top of Kyoko's.

"So why did Yuki duct tape you earlier?" I asked smirking. Kyoko blushed a brilliant scarlet.

"You, you saw that?" She stammered looking at her hands. I chuckled.

"I saw him carrying you over his shoulder through the main dining section." I explained my smirk widened as Kyoko buried her head in her hands.

"Yuki always does things to the extreme when it concerns me. He's been this way ever since he started elementary school. Whenever he thinks I'm working too hard he'll take on most of my work load and tires himself out. Yuki thinks he have to because he's the man of the house." She added quietly.

"Then why didn't you look for a boyfriend? With your looks I bet hundreds of men threw themselves at your feet." I said a little bitter. Kyoko glared at me.

"You know the answer, Kuon. Just because I left doesn't mean I could just leave my feelings back in Japan." She said slurring a bit. I noticed her glass was almost empty.

"Kyoko, are you drunk?" I asked her cautiously. She shrugged.

"Maybe, I do feel a little tipsy but otherwise I'm perfectly fine." She said slurring again. I chuckled.

"I think it's time for you to go home." I said pulling out my wallet. I set a few bills on the table and stood up. I gently helped Kyoko up and to the car.

"Ah, that reminds. Kyoko, would it be possible for Black Moonlight to do a few scenes at Le Goût du Vin?" I asked as I started the car. She nodded and smiled excitedly.

"It would be great to be on set again. I miss being an actress sometimes." She added sadly. The rest of the car ride was silent. I dropped Kyoko off at Le Goût du Vin.

"See you tomorrow, Kyoko." I said as she waved and went inside.

_**Kyoko's POV**_

_~6:00 am the next day~_

I groaned and rolled over. My head was throbbing quite painfully as I grudgingly got up. I stumbled to my closet and grabbed a white turtle neck and a pair of faded blue jeans. I slipped on a pair of sneakers and trudged out into the main dining area. Yuki was opening the door for Kuon and the rest of Black Moonlight. _**Damn, must've gotten drunk last night**_. I sighed.

"Welcome to Le Goût du Vin." I said coming up behind Yuki. He smiled at me over his shoulder.

"Good morning. How's the head?" He asked. I shrugged.

"It's not going to kill me so I should be fine after I get a hangover fixer-upper." I said grumbling a little. Kuon chuckled.

"If I knew you would a hangover from one martini I wouldn't have let you have it." He said winking. I rolled my eyes and winced.

"So what exactly did I agree to last night besides the stuff about summer vacation?" I asked clutching my pounding head. He smirked.

"Besides marrying me nothing much." He replied. I smacked him on the head.

"That's not funny. If my head wasn't throbbing Mio would have your head on a silver platter." I grumbled. Kuon chuckled.

"I doubt she would. I mean who was the one who helped you find your Mio?" He asked smirking. I scowled at him.

"Says the man who lied to Japan and me for over 10 years." I retorted. He shrugged.

"Who said I wasn't lying to you now?" He asked teasingly.

"Kuon, I have a bad hangover, don't make me get Mio or Nastu to kick your ass." I said clutching my head again. He smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, but teasing you is just too much fun." He said winking. I growled and headed to the staff lounge to get myself a hangover fixer-upper. I opened the mini fridge and pulled out a glass of nauseating green liquid. I pinched my nose and drank the sickening liquid in one gulp. I felt my nose crinkle and my toes curl at the taste. I laid down on the couch and sighed.

"Are you sure you're okay, Maman?" Yuki asked sitting down beside me.

"I'll survive." I mumbled. He chuckled.

"Now, what was that you and Papa were talking about summer break?" he asked curiously. I groaned.

"Over summer break we're going on vacation," I took a deep breath. "In Japan." I said quietly. Yuki smiled.

"Sweet! I finally get to see Japan. I've got to thank Papa." He said hopping off the couch and went in search of Kuon. I chuckled. Yuki always got excited over the smallest things. I sighed and heaved myself off the couch and out to where they were filming.

They were in the middle of filming a scene with Mio and Mizuki, but something felt off.

"Cut! Tokomi-san, remember Mio hates Mizuki from the bottom of her heart. Take three, and action!" The director yelled. Even though the director pointed out what was wrong it still wasn't right.

"I don't think this is going to work, Director Shiroto." Momose-san said an apologetic expression on her face. She had aged a little but not very noticeably. "We either need to find a new actress or find some way to show Umi-chan what Mio is supposed to be like." I smirked.

"Maybe I can be of assistance." I said walking over to Momose-san. "It's been a while Momose-san." I said smiling at her. She stared at me wide eyed and speechless.

"K, k, k, Kyoko-chan? Is that really you?" She asked bewildered. I nodded.

"Yes, it's really me, Momose-san. Did you come the other day with the cast and crew for lunch? I don't remember seeing you there." I added. She shook her head.

"No, I wasn't. But why are you here?" Momose-san asked. I giggled.

"Well, I was a little hung-over last night so instead of driving home I stayed here, at my restaurant." I said winking. She giggled.

"Your cooking was great that one time at the location shoot when we were in the middle of nowhere. Everyone was very grateful you packed so much." Momose-san added giggling even more. I giggled at the memory.

"That was a lot better than the location shoot at Karuizawa." I said shivering.

"Yeah, that experience with the stalker was scary." She said. I nodded.

"Um, Momose-san, who is this?" The director asked. I smiled at him.

"I'm Mogami Kyoko. I played Mio in _Dark Moon_. Nice to meet you." I said bowing. Kuon and Yuki chuckled, while everyone else was staring at me speechless. Tokomi-san scoffed.

"That's a horrible lie you know. I mean there's no way the actress who played Mio before me still looks like she's 17." She said looking me over. I smiled.

"I'm sorry. I seem to have threatened you unintentionally, Tokomi-san. But don't worry I'm not interested in making appearances on TV. All I proposed was that I help you understand Mio as not just a role but a person." I said a smirk crawling onto my face as she narrowed her eyes.

"Your lies are getting more and more outrageous, 'Mogami'-san. You just want Kuon-san's attention don't you?" Tokomi-san said irritated and annoyed. I rolled my eyes.

"I don't need to pull a stunt to get Kuon's attention. I already have it." I said smirking. Yuki whistled. Kuon shook his head. Tokomi-san screeched and launched herself at me. I easily stopped her in midair. Just because I was out of showbiz doesn't mean my demons went untrained. I caressed her face, while smiling Mio-like.

"Such a pretty face. It would be a shame if it were to be scared." I said in a chilling tone. Kuon placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Kyoko, put her down gently." He murmured softly. I sighed and set her on her feet.

"She started it." I mumbled pouting. Yuki laughed.

"I can't believe it! Maman actually pouted!" He said between bits of laughter.

"Yuki, do you want to repeat what happened the first time you tried to get me to take a day off?" I asked him smiling sweetly. He immediately shut his mouth and shook his head. Kuon rolled his eyes.

"Having fun disciplining your son?" He asked teasingly. I scowled at him.

"I've been too lenient on him and I'm finally putting my foot down. I'm going to have to if I'm going to be able to drag him back. I can't believe I actually let you talk me into this." I added with a sigh. He shrugged.

"You didn't have to agree." He said smirking. I scowled at him.

"And have you collapse from exhaustion again? I don't think so. Sometimes I wonder if you're really fit to be an actor like Otou-san." I said shaking my head.

"Plenty of people think I'm a great actor." He said confidently. I raised an eyebrow.

"Are there people beside Okaa-san, Otou-san, Maria-chan, and the female population who think so?" I asked. Kuon laughed.

"If that was it I wouldn't be getting offers for dramas and movies." He pointed out. I grudgingly agreed.

"Ne, Kuon, how's Okaa-san doing?" I asked him. He smiled.

"She's doing fine. She retired a few years back. She's probably swimming in her pool right now." He added winking. I giggled.

"That sounds just like her." I said a sad smile easing itself onto my lips. Kuon patted my head.

"You'll see her when we get back to Japan don't worry."

Readers,

I'm swamped with school work, chores and choir. I have little to no free time so I'm putting Wine Jelly on hiatus. Sorry for the inconvience. T_T


	11. Chapter 10

_**Kuon's POV**_

I suddenly remembered we weren't alone.

"Maybe we should continue this later." I suggested glanced around the room. Yashiro was grinning ear to ear; Shiroto-san was smirking; Yuki was rolling his eyes; and Momose-san was giggling. Kyoko blushed and looked down sheepishly.

"That would be a good idea." She murmured looking at her sneakers. Tokomi-san was anything but happy.

"You're one slyly cocky bitch." She hissed, shooting Kyoko a look of pure disgust. Kyoko smiled icily, causing Tokomi-san to flinch.

"Really? I was thinking the exact same thing about you." She said in a cold cheery tone. Tokomi-san shivered, but, unfortunately, didn't back down. I placed a hand on Kyoko's shoulder.

"Kyoko, please put away the Natsu smile. You're scaring the cast and crew." I added. She grumbled but the smile faded.

"Can I at least let Mio inspire a little fear?" She said looking up at me with puppy dog eyes. _**Oh, God help me.**_ I gulped. She was just too damn cute when she did that.

"You wanted to show Tokomi-san how much Mio hates Mizuki so go ahead." I said discreetly caving into her demands. She smiled. But it wasn't her normal beautiful, cute, wonderful, perfect, breathe taking smile; it was Mio's smile.

"Hope she knows what she's getting into." Yuki said as he locked himself in the staff lounge. Instantly a bright red light went off somewhere in my mind. If Yuki was hiding something was going to happen.

"Don't go overboard." I told Kyoko as I went off stage. I had a feeling Mio had evolved since the end of Dark Moon and it wasn't going to be pretty. Shiroto-san was smirking broadly.

"Let the Mio fight, begin." He murmured chuckling. I sighed and lounged against the far wall. _**At least I won't be bored.**_

_**Kyoko's POV**_

After Dark Moon ended Mio was usually dormant but occasionally she would rear her head. Slowly she began changing into a new Mio. One who held no patience for anyone, nor politeness, nor tolerance, nor warmth, nor happiness; only hatred, malice, and bitterness.

I took my place, closed my eyes, and waited for the director to call action. As soon as the word let his mouth Kyoko was gone and Mio was sitting at a table facing Mizuki.

"Coming to beg me for money, Mizuki?" I asked smirking. She sighed.

"Mio, you're my cousin. I want you to be in my wedding." Momose-san said bluntly. I snorted.

"So you're trying to be friendly so you can earn my trust so you can use me in the future." I said a hollow brittle sound escaping my lips. Momose-san flinched.

"That's not what I'm trying to do, Mio." She said shakily. "I want to connect with you as family. To become the sister Misao onee-sama never was." Momose-san said a little stronger this time. I laughed and smirked devilishly at her.

"Do you think I would actually believe such a thing, Mizuki? Trust and faith are fragile things that easily crumble and are replaced by malice and bitterness." I said letting my bitterness and hatred seep into my already chilling tone. Momose-san shivered noticeably.

"See? Everyone fears me and that is the way I want to keep it." I said smirking my devilish smirk. She froze.

"Cut! Momose-san you forgot your lines." The director said gently. She blushed and nodded.

"Sorry, it's been a long time since I acted with Kyoko-chan and it takes some getting used to her Mio." Momose-san said her cheek returning to their normal color. Tokomi-san was scare out of her wits judging by her expression.

"I may have overdone the emotions a little." I said to Momose-san. She shrugged.

"It seemed a bit more intense than the _Dark Moon_ Mio but I think I can handle it." She said confidently. I smiled slyly.

"Like how you handled Kuon's Katsuki the first time?" I asked her teasingly. Momose-san blushed.

"Who wouldn't have reacted that way to that smile?!" She asked trying to cover her embarrassment. I giggled.

"Well, I, for one, was not effect by that smile the first time I saw it." I said proudly. She raised an eyebrow.

"Does that mean you saw it before the acting test?" Momose-san asked curiously. I nodded.

"Yes, it was actually shortly after I was fired from my first job. It was also after I explained what tenteko-mai was to Kuon. You should have seen the look on his face when I told him what it was." I added giggling. I felt a piercing glare on the side of my face.

"Do you have something to add, Kuon?" I asked him as I turned to face his glare. He shrugged.

"No, just thinking how much of a stalker you are." He said smirking. I clenched my teeth.

"How the heck am I a stalker?! You asked me what tenteko-mai was." I stated crossly. I watched as realization crossed his face then he started laughing.

"You were the chicken, I should have known." Kuon said chuckling. I rolled my eyes.

"Well, it's not that I didn't want to tell you. If I did tell you, you wouldn't have let me help you anymore." I added pouting. He rolled his eyes.

"Mogami-san, do you want to try that scene again or is it okay for Tokomi-san to try the scene again?" The director asked. I smiled.

"I'll let Tokomi-san have a turn while I go check on my son." I said going off stage. I could feel Momose-san's gaze on the back off my head.

"Kyoko-chan, you have a son know?" She asked quite surprised.

"Yes, Yuki turned 15 on January 18th." I said turning around a warm smile on my face. I heard most of the male crew members stop breathing at the sight. A gentlemanly smile spread across Kuon's face. Instantly my smile was nowhere to be seen. Momose-san smiled slyly.

"Go on and check on him. We'll talk later." She said a suspicious looking glint in her eyes. I rolled my eyes and headed to the staff lounge. I knocked once then tried the knob. Locked.

"Yuki, open the door." I said sighing. Slowly he opened the door and peeked out.

"No unconscious or dead bodies?" He asked cautiously. I laughed.

"No, all of them are alive and awake." I said an amused smile gleaming on my face. Yuki let out a relieved sigh.

"Good, because I don't know how to hide a dead body." He said coming out of the staff lounge. I giggled.

"If I needed help with that I would ask your father. When he was your age he wasn't exactly considered a good kid. And if you ask your father who told about this, do not say I did because he may not take it well." I added quickly glancing around to make sure no one had been in hearing distance. Yuki nodded cautiously.

"Is there anything else you're hiding from me?" He asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Yuki, why would I hide anything from you? Your father's past isn't exactly mine to tell. He didn't tell me about his past I found out on my own." I said quietly remembering how it happened.

_*Flashback*_

_A thick package was lying in front of the door to my apartment. Mogami Kyoko was written on it in large letters. I picked it up and entered my apartment. Slipping off my shoes, I opened the package. Serveral police murder case files were inside. Carefully I removed the first one. I nearly dropped it when I read the name of the prime suspect. Hizuri Kuon was listed as a prime suspect in all of them. There was a little note inside. _

**Do you still think he**** is who he says he is****?**

_*End flashback*_

I shivered at the memory. Yuki raised an eyebrow.

"There's something you're not telling me." He accused. I sighed.

"Yuki, I have no reason to lie to you about anything so why would I be hiding something?" I asked him. He nodded and headed over to see how filming was going.

_**Kuon's POV**_

I could barely watch the scene in front of me. Tokomi-san delivered all her lines at the correct times but they were lacking Mio's hatred. Kyoko and Yuki came into view a few minutes later. Shiroto-san was shaking his head.

"Tokomoi-san, you need to express Mio's hatred properly. Not the weak dislike you've been showing." He said irritated. Tokomi-san's face flushed with anger and charged up to Kyoko.

"How do you do it?! Your Mio's hatred is so extreme, how is it possible to portray it so well?!" Tokomi-san yelled at Kyoko. Kyoko waited until Tokomi-san calmed down to speak.

"The reason I can portray her hatred, her anger, her bitterness, and her malice is because I have felt that way about someone before." She said evenly. Tokomi-san snorted.

"There's no way someone could feel that much hatred and bitterness and lived through it." She said looking down her nose at Kyoko. Kyoko sighed.

"I know of only two instances, myself included, that the people have survived and we did it because we set up goals for ourselves. A level we wanted to reach no matter what. For me it was defeating the guy who broke my heart, for him it was to surpass his father." She said quietly. "When someone loves someone else very much when that person is betrayed by the one they love it twists that love into hate, bitterness, and malice. I would know. I used to worship the ground he walked on, but then I found out I was just a maid, a puppet. So I swore revenge on him. If not for him I wouldn't be here today probably. I may thank him one day." She said a faint sorrowful smile on her lips. Tokomi-san just stared at Kyoko.

"Are you crazy? If a guy dumped me all I would do is make sure I turn everyone I know against him. What is the point of getting revenge besides that?" She asked smirking. Kyoko looked at her pityingly.

"That's because you don't know true love, Tokomi-san. Love is a double-edge sword. It can cut deep with into your heart if you're not careful or be the most wonderous feeling you have ever experienced." She said patting Tokomi-san on the shoulder. "The jealous hate you feel is not the hatred of Mio, remember that." Kyoko added as she walked over to me. I smiled as she leaned against the wall next to me.

"So you use me as an example?" I asked her teasingly. She rolled her eyes.

"Well you're the only other on I could think of off the top of my head. I'm sorry if you didn't wanting me sharing it." Kyoko said gazing up at me with her innocent amber eyes. _**Lord, help me resist this cuteness.**_

"No, it's fine. There aren't a lot of people who could handle the emotions we did." I said softly. "Now what was that about thanking Fuwa?" I asked her feeling of bitterness stirring in my heart. She giggled at my tone.

"Well, if Sho never dumped me I wouldn't have joined LME, and met everyone. Or you again." She added smiling at me tenderly. _**One little kiss on those sweet, delectable—**_ I shook off that thought before I could complete it.

"I guess I do owe Fuwa a little but the comment from the other day is a whole other story." I said smiling a bit. Kyoko laughed.

"Yes, it is. But you still didn't have to go that far." She added glancing up at me. I shrugged.

"I need to work off some of the tension in my muscles and I had a convenient punching bag." She giggled.

"And here I thought you had finally forgiven," Kyoko paused a thoughtful expression crossed her features. "Well, not forgiven, but you would let him be if you saw him on the street." She said winking at me. I smiled.

"I did. But he was running his mouth off again and all I did was set him straight. Yuki helped to." I added. She laughed.

"What did I help with?" Yuki asked coming up to us. He'd been chatting a little with Momose-san. Kyoko shook her head.

"Nothing important." She said and suddenly she laughed. Yuki and I jumped in surprise.

"What's so funny, Maman?" He asked. She calmed down a bit.

"I was just remembering when Sho guest starred on _Dark Moon_. I wish I had a picture." Kyoko added sighing. I smiled.

"I have a picture if you want it." I offered fishing my cell phone out. Her face immediately lit up.

"Really? Let me see! Let me see! Let me see!" She said excitedly reaching for the phone. I moved it out of her reach.

"Okay. I'll show it to you just calm down." I said chuckling. She pouted but waited for me to bring up the picture. I handed her the phone and waited for her reaction. As soon as Kyoko saw it she went into a laughing fit. Yuki stared at her.

"Is it really that funny?" He asked take the phone from Kyoko. Yuki chuckled as he looked at the screen.

"How many years ago was this?" he asked handing me my phone.

"I think 16 years. It was sometime during the second season, but I'm not sure." I said putting the phone back into my pocket. Kyoko nodded.

"What makes it even funnier is why and how he ended up smashing into the floor." She said a small cackle escaping her lips. Yuki and I took a step away from her.

"Oh, come on. I'm not _that_ scary." Kyoko said rolling her eyes. Yuki and I exchanged a glance and smiled.

"When you're not Mio that is." We said in unison. She punched us in the shoulders.

"I'm starting to fear summer break." She said sighing. We smirked and glanced at each other. _**This summer is going to great.**_


	12. Chapter 11

**_Kyoko's POV_**

_~That Sunday, Kyoko's apartment~_

Yuki pushed me into my bedroom and quickly closed the door behind me. I tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge. I growled in frustration.

"Move out of the way this instant, Yuki, or we will not be going to the beach over summer break until the last week of August!" I yelled pounding on the door.

"There's no way you can go on a date wearing that, Maman, and I'm not letting you out until you're dress properly." He said stubbornly.

"Are you cupid or something? And I'm not going on a date." I added greatly annoyed. I was wearing a plain white t-shirt, faded jeans, and comfortable sneakers, perfect for wondering around the streets of Paris.

"You're going to go wondering around Paris the city of romance with Papa, I consider that a date. And a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers are not date wear." I sighed.

"Sometimes I wonder if I even have a son." I mumbled shaking my head.

"I heard that." I rolled my eyes and walked to my closet. I closed my eyes and randomly picked something out. I opened my eyes and smiled. I was holding a short sleeved red button blouse paired with a pair of white slacks.

I set the clothes on my bed and raided my top dresser drawer. I pulled out a brown woven belt and held it up to the outfit. **_Perfect._** **_Now for jewelry and shoes…_** I skipped over to my jewelry box and started looking through it. I put on Princess Rosa, and changed into my outfit. I walked to my closet, pulled out a pair of comfortable black flats and pulled them on.

"I changed. Can I come out now, Yuki?" I asked him through the door. The door opened slightly and Yuki peeked in. After taking one look at me he opened the door.

"That's much better. Did you always have that necklace, Maman?" I nodded.

"I got the crystal for my 17th birthday, right at midnight from Kuon." I said a tender smile gracing my lips. Yuki smiled.

"No wonder you never wore it. Who made it into a necklace? I've never seen this design before." He said fingering it gently.

"I did. I made it to go with one of my roles. I used it to get into my role for a week after she was born." I said smiling at the memory. Yuki raised an eyebrow.

"Have I met her?" I shook my head.

"I don't think so. I occasionally adopt some of her characteristics but I haven't become Natsu since you were really little. Natsu isn't exactly the motherly type." I added heading to the coat closet. Yuki followed me with a brow still raised.

"And Mio is?" I chuckled.

"No, but she helped a lot when I was trying to survive in hell's kitchen." I pulled on a white jacket. When the wind picks up it gets cold, even in the summer. I grabbed my purse and headed down to the street where Kuon was waiting. He smiled as I came down the stairs

"Gomen, Yuki made me change because I wasn't wearing 'date' clothes. I swear that boy is like another Moko-san at times." I said reaching him. He grabbed my hand and we started walking.

"Well, now that he knows I wasn't too keen on you running away to France I think he likes me and wants me to official be his dad. If you know what I mean." He said smirking a little. I blushed and nodded.

"Yes, but taking things slow for now would be the best option. We're still getting reacquainted. I mean it's been 15 years since we saw each other beside these last few weeks." I smiled a little. "But one day Yuki will have you as an 'official' father." I added to myself quietly.

**_Kuon's POV_**

I stared at the petite woman standing next to me. One look at her dressed in her red blouse with the top three buttons undone, tight white slacks, and a woven belt that accented her small waist and any man would have walk into the light post right in front of them. **_Did Kyoko just say that she was willing to become my wife someday?_** I shook my head. **_You're hearing things again, Kuon._** I scolded myself. I sighed inwardly.

"Something wrong, Kuon?" Kyoko asked looking up at me. I forgot she could she through the mask.

"No, just thinking." I said smiling down at her. She nodded slowly not entirely believing me. "So do you have anywhere you want to go?" I asked her trying to get my head back in working order. Kyoko shrugged.

"Not really. The only times I go shopping is when the refrigerator at my apartment is empty or if I need new clothes. But I haven't needed new clothes in years." She added laughing. I chuckled.

"I was surprised to see how little you'd changed. Expect for the hair you look like you did before you left Japan." She laughed.

"You should have seen me when I was an apprentice at Le Goût du Vin. Yuki still jokes about how I looked like the ghost of an old woman." Kyoko said rolling her eyes. I chuckled.

"If my mother looked like an old woman at you age I would have never let her hear the end of it." I admitted. She smiled.

"You two are very much alike. If it wasn't for Yuki's appetite and hair color I would say you two were exactly the same." She said swinging our hands up into the air. I cocked an eyebrow.

"He has a normal appetite?" Kyoko snorted.

"I wish. That boy almost ate my out of house and home when Mignon-san was still alive. Yuki inherited Otou-san's appetite no doubt about it." She said dryly. I laughed, earning myself a scowl.

"It's not that funny when your son starts stealing other people ingredients when you're in a cooking death match." Kyoko said sighing at the memory. I chuckled.

"Well, he was at least he wasn't eating yours." I pointed out. She rolled her eyes. A small smile played on her lips.

"I suppose, but there was a lot of anger and resentment focused on him because of it. He still has some of the scars." Kyoko added quietly. I could hear the sorrow and guilt crystal clear. I squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"It's okay, Kyoko. You can't help all the time. And I know for a fact Yuki doesn't blame you." I whispered into her ear. She smiled gently.

"Thanks, Kuon."

**_Kyoko's POV_**

**_Now is the perfect time to tell him, Kyoko! He'll understand!_** I encouraged myself as we continued walking. I was too busy having a war with myself to notice Kuon's worried gaze.

"Is something wrong, Kyoko?" I shook my head.

"No, just lost in my thoughts." **_Coward._** Natsu murmured. Kuon's eyes narrowed a little but nodded. I didn't like keeping secrets from him but some were necessary.

"So anything exciting happen during the last 15 years?" Kuon asked. I shrugged.

"Let's see, I took over Le Goût du Vin five years ago. Yuki has been getting straight A's since elementary school. He has his own fan club. And is the top street fighter in Paris. Whenever Yuki and I go out together people think we're on a date. Um, I've been hit on boys 20 years younger than I am. I can't really think of anything else." I said pursing my lips in thought. Kuon chuckled.

"Looks like someone's popular." He teased. I scowled at him.

"For your information, I do not enjoy being hit on by younger men. Yuki and Jeanne think it's hilarious, though." I added pouting. Kuon laughed. It was one of his deep, throaty laughs that always made my heart race and my cheeks flush.

"What about you? Any recent dates?" I asked changing the subject. He shrugged.

"I've had plenty of offers but I turned down everyone." He smiled down at me. I returned his smile.

"That sounds just like you. So recent job offers?" Kuon laughed.

"When haven't I had job offers?" I giggled.

"True. So how much of a bother has Yashiro been?" He snorted.

"I doubt 'bother' can still describe him. He's much more aggressive nowadays. Every time I had a free day he asked if I wanted to go on a day trip to Paris. After I published **_Heartache Dreams_** he stopped nagging me as much." Kuon's eyes were filled with the pain he had felt all those years. I squeezed his hand gently.

"I didn't leave because I wanted to hurt you." I whispered looking down at my flats.

"I know." He said softly. "But I still want to know why you felt you had to run away to another country." I bit my lip and looked up at him.

"That's not exactly something I can tell you." I said quietly. Tears threatened to overflow at any moment. Kuon began panicking seeing this. I laughed as he tried to make a coherent sentence and was failing quite miserably. He relaxed a little at my laughter.

"Please don't have that expression on your face again, Kyoko. I don't know if my heart could take it seeing you like that." He added caressing my face with his free hand. I leaned my head into his touch.

"I'm sorry if I worried you." He smiled.

"I've been worrying about you for the last 15 years and I'm not going to stop know." Kuon poked my nose. I squeaked and scowled at him.

"You were planning to do that all along, weren't you?" I accused him. He did that infuriating American gesture. I felt my eyebrow twitch.

"I have absolute no idea what you're talking about." He held his head up proudly. I smacked his arm with my free hand.

"You know very well you're lying and you know how much that gesture infuriates me." I huffed. He laughed.

"I do, but you're cute expressions makes it worthwhile." He said kissing me lightly. As he pulled back my face flushed a deep crimson. He smirked.

"Who said you could kiss me?!" I rammed into his side and bounced off. He caught me so I wouldn't fall.

"Well, you didn't objected the last time I kissed you." Kuon said smirking broadly.

"I was drunk that last time you kissed me!" I shouted releasing his hand and folding my arms over my chest. He laughed at my angry expression.

"I guess you're right. I apologize for kissing you my fair maiden." Kuon said kissing my head. I scowled at him as my cheeks turned a rosy pink.

"Did you get a prince role recently or something?" I asked him trying desperately not to imagine him dressed as one. He smirked.

"I've been brushing up on my fairytales." He said grasping my hand again. I tried to break his grip but he wouldn't have any of it.

"Kuon, let go of my hand." I hissed through gritted teeth.

"I don't want to." He said teasingly as he smirked. I sighed.

"You never listen to anyone do you?" He shrugged.

"I listen when I want to." I snorted.

"So never?"

"I want to listen sometimes." I nodded my head not believing him one bit. He smiled mischievously. "Sometimes I want to listen to you." He added laying his head on my shoulder. I squeaked at the sudden contact.

"Don't just do whatever you please." I said a blush working its way across my cheeks. He smiled up at me.

**_Kuon's POV_**

"But what would be the fun of that?" I asked Kyoko innocently. She rolled her eyes.

"Sometimes I wonder where the man I fell in love with goes."

"He's in Japan. You can always come and visit if you want." She laughed.

"I wonder what all your fan girls would say if they knew this mischievous side of yours. Or the Emperor of the Night side." Kyoko added winking at me. I smiled and nuzzled her neck, which earned me a squeak and a slapped on the head.

"Ow, I did not, in any way, deserve that." I said removing my head from her shoulder. She scowled at me.

"My body is my own and if I chose to protect it I will." Kyoko stated. I smiled, and noticed the sunset.

"Time really flies when you're having a good time." I gazed at the crimson horizon. She turned her head to look at the sunset and I could just imagine the face she was making. I peeked around her shoulder to get a look at her face and my heart practically smashed into the sidewalk. Kyoko's eyes were filled with tears and a deep sorrowful longing. She was starting to fall apart.

"Kyoko, what's wrong?!" I was panicking. She snapping out of whatever trance she had been in at my voice. She quickly wiped away the tears.

"Sorry, I was just remembering the last person I watched the sunset with." Kyoko said her voice still thick with tears. I pulled her into a tight hug.

"Kuon?" She tried to pull away. I tightened my grasp.

"I can't handle your seeing you sad, Kyoko. I don't care who it is, but if they make you this sad it's best just to forget them." I whispered kissing the top of her head. Suddenly she shoved me away with all her power.

"What do you know?!" She screamed at me tears running down her cheeks.

"If they're making you sad, why do you want to remember them?!" I shouted back, infuriated and panicking with Kyoko's tears. She screeched in pure fury, whirled on her heels, and sprinted back to her apartment. Leaving me in the middle of the sidewalk passersby giving my pitying looks, and my question unanswered. **_This summer is going to be just _great_._**

Have a happy Thanksgiving!


	13. Chapter 12

_**Kyoko's POV**_

_~Charles de Gaulle Airport, 5:00pm~_

Yuki was humming to "Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo" by Bloodhound Gang in the seat next to me. Of course we just had to be seated next to the cast and crew of Black Moonlight with three seats in each row and Kuon just _happened_ to be in the seat on my other side. _**Damn seat trader.**_

"Kyoko, at least tell me how I upset you." Kuon pleaded for the nth time. I ignored him and pulled out my IPod. I stuck in my earphones, and turned up the volume so I couldn't hear him anymore. The first track was 'Bounce' by Sarah Conner. Sometime during the flight I fell asleep with my IPod still playing.

_*Dream*  
_

_Two pairs of little hands grabbed mine and pulled me towards the setting sun. One was a little girl with shining amber eyes and two little black pig tails; the other was a boy with short black hair and silvery eyes. I smiled gently at them._

_"Thank you, Yuki, Aoi, for showing me this beautiful sunset." I said kissing them both on the forehead. Little Yuki blushed turning scarlet in the evening light, and Aoi smiled up at me sweetly._

_"You're welcome, Maman." They chorused. Suddenly, a black shadow appeared, grabbed Aoi and started to drag her away. I tried to grab her but the shadow back-handed me, cutting my cheek with something on one of its fingers and left me paralyzed. "Yuki! Maman!" Aoi cried out as Yuki chased after them. He tripped and fell almost catching them as they disappeared._

_"Nee-chan!" He cried reaching towards where the shadow had disappeared with Aoi._

_*End*  
_

I jolted in my seat and stared blankly at the seat in front of me. I looked out the window past Yuki's head. Night had set in during my slumber.

"Did you wake up from your nightmare?" A deep voice asked softly. I winced and turned to face Kuon.

"Yes, did I wake you?" He shrugged.

"I wasn't asleep yet. What was your nightmare about?" I gulped.

"My okaa-san… and Aoi." Kuon's eyes harden into unbreakable steel.

"I understand about having a nightmare about your okaa-san but who is Aoi?" I bit my lip.

"Aoi is Yuki's older twin sister." I whispered almost inaudibly. Kuon's eye grew wide in shock.

"I have a daughter and a son?" He asked barely forcing out the words. I nodded smiling weakly.

"Yes, but I haven't seen Aoi for 13 years. I was out back playing with them and somehow my okaa-san had found me." I tried to hold back my tears. "She was getting remarried and was worried I would become a threat to her new husband's reputation so she came to check on me. When she found out I had two kids, unmarried, and working as a chef she was furious." I felt the tears spilling over. "She took Aoi and said if I ever went into showbiz again or caused any sort of uproar she would, she would…" I couldn't finish. Kuon wrapped his arms around me tightly and I started sobbing into his chest.

"It's okay. When we get to Japan we can do a little digging and see what we find." He whispered into my ear. I nodded into his chest. "I have a few lawyer friends who could help out in case she doesn't want to give Aoi back to us. Even if it is your okaa-san that took her that is still kidnapping." He added a devilish smirk on his lips. "Finally that bitch will be behind bars." I didn't have the energy to laugh so I just cuddled deeper into Kuon's chest.

_**Kuon's POV**_

_~Near Tokyo Airport, 9:00 am~_

I grumbled as someone started poking me in an attempt to wake me.

"Wake up, Kuon. We're going to land soon and I don't think we can carry you off the plane." A familiar warm voice said gently poking me again. I opened my eyes so I could glare at the perpetrator. Kyoko was smiling as she poked me yet again.

"Can you stop poking me?" I asked her yawning. She shrugged.

"I could but what would be the fun in that?" She was smiling mischievously. I rolled my eyes and realized I was still holding her. I slowly unwound my arms and Kyoko pouted.

"Hey, those were nice and comfortable. Who said you could move them?" I smirked and leaned forward so our faces were centimeters apart.

"Is that really what you want?" She giggled.

"Would I complain if it wasn't?" Kyoko asked and kissed me gently. I was stunned that she actually initiated a kiss. Slowly, a smile spread across my lips.

"After we get Aoi back there's something I want to ask you." I whispered caressing her face. She smiled.

"I'll be waiting." She said leaned her head into my hand. Yuki coughed in the seat next to her.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we're about to land." He said looking at the floor his cheeks bright red. I chuckled. He was so innocent yet at the same time not at all.

"Ne, isn't that the Mogami Yuki-sama and Hizuri Kuon-sama?" A girl whispered behind me. Her companion nodded.

"Yeah, don't they look alike? I mean except for the fact Yuki-sama is 24 years younger than Kuon-sama and has black hair. Hey isn't there a girl in between them?" She said looking at Kyoko. The first one glared at Kyoko.

"Talk about a lucky bitch. She probably begged Yuki-sama's okaa-sama to give up her seat so she could sit in between them." She said disgusted. Yuki and I held back chuckles as Kyoko rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I bet his okaa-sama's a real beauty. I mean she was able to seduce a French nobleman." Her companion said stars forming in their eyes. It was getting harder and harder to hold back the laughter.

"You seduced a French nobleman?" Kyoko scowled at me.

"You know I did no such thing. Its obvious Yuki has foreign blood so they assumed he was part French since we live in Paris and he has a sort of noble aura so they thought his father had come from nobility. They weren't that far off, though. You are the prince of the acting world." She added giggling. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm the son of the greatest actor in Japan and the States not the world, Kyoko." She sighed.

"Do you honestly think there are better actors out there?" I smiled.

"You're a better actor." I said winking at her. She immediately shook her head at the idea.

"Kuon, I've know you for 30 years, 4 of those years were when I was an actress and I still had problems with being lured in by your acting. I am in no way a superior actor." I sighed. _**How can this woman not see her own worth?**_ I asked myself gazing at her.

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I peered out the window to see the runway I had left from 15 years ago.

"Is anyone picking us up?" I asked Kuon leaning back into my seat. He avoided my gaze.

"Kuon, who is it?" I asked hoping I wouldn't regret asking. He smiled sheepishly.

"Maria insisted on picking me up and introducing me to her boyfriend. She has no idea you and Yuki are coming." I sighed, and reached up into my carryon luggage. I pulled out a blue ball cap and a pair of dark sunglasses.

"Put these on before we land." I said "I'm going to introduce you as my adopted son, understand?" Yuki nodded his brows frowning. Kuon chuckled.

"Aren't you overreacting, Kyoko?" He asked me. I shook my head.

"Not at all, Kuon. If I know Maria she's going to be overjoyed that I'm back, I have a boyfriend, and a son." I giggled as I imagined Maria's expression. Kuon smiled softly. Soon we were making our way off the plane and towards the luggage claim.

"Oh that reminds me. I need to go shopping for a swimsuit sometime." I said grabbing my small black suitcase. Kuon smiled mischievously. "I know what you're thinking, Kuon. And I'm not taking you shopping with me. I'll take Moko-san, Maria, Chirori-san, Momose-san or maybe even Yuki. But _you_ are _not_ coming with me." I added firmly. Yuki coughed sounded suspiciously like a laugh.

"Kuon~sama~!" Came a shrill cry. Kuon winced and turned around. A beautiful blonde with cheery green eyes was running towards us. She was wearing a red strapless shirt with black jeans and brown flats. She halted catching a glimpse of me.

"O-O-Onee-sama?" Maria stared at me in disbelief.

"Hello, Maria." I said running over to her and hugging her. She immediately returned the embrace.

"Onee-sama, I missed you so much!" She said weeping into my shoulder. I stroked her hair comfortingly.

"I'm sorry, Maria. Now where's this boyfriend that I heard about?" I asked pulling back to see her face. She smiled.

"I can't wait for you to meet Ryuji! He's the sweetest and most handsome man I ever met! No offense, Kuon-sama." She added winking at Kuon over my shoulder. Maria noticed Yuki.

"Who's that, Onee-sama? Your boyfriend?" She asked slyly. Yuki laughed.

"No, Yuki is my adopted son." I said my smile a little strained. "If anyone's my boyfriend it's Kuon." I added whispering softly. Maria squealed happily as a taller Japanese man with black eyes and brown hair came up behind her.

"Maria, didn't I tell you to wait for me?" He asked placing his hands on her shoulders. She glanced up at him and gave him a quick kiss.

"You did, but I wanted to see Kuon-sama and I happened to met Onee-sama." She said releasing me and latching on to the man I assumed was Ryuji's arm. He glanced at me and his jaw practically hit the floor.

"You said she was 35, right? Because the girl in front of us is maybe 20." Ryuji looked down at Maria for confirmation. She shrugged.

"Onee-sama is special and full of mysteries. That reminds me." She added glancing at me. "You never did tell me about what happened with Fuwa-san." I winced. I had hoped she had forgotten about that. Maria had been on set we I had assisted Sho in doing a face plant.

"Maybe another time." Kuon chuckled beside me. I scowled up at him.

"That reminds me. Kuon, you haven't given me a copy of that picture. And I don't want the one off your dartboard or one of your shooting targets." Maria raised an eyebrow.

"Kuon-sama knows how to use a gun?" I nodded grinning mischievously. Yuki was practically on the ground laughing as he watched Kuon frozen by my statement.

"Why don't we leave those two so I can get to Kuon's before five?" I suggested not even bothering to glance at them. Yuki stopped laughing.

"Maman, that isn't very nice." He said getting up. Ryuji's brows frowned in confusion. I realized he didn't understand French and from the looks of it neither did Maria.

"Sorry, Yuki usually uses French when he's out in public because not many people in Paris speak Japanese." Yuki smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand.

"I knew I was forgetting something. Well, it's nice to meet you, Maria obaa-san. Ryuji oji-san." He said bowing politely. I giggled at his error.

"I would prefer it if you used Maria onee-san and Ryuji onii-san, Yuki-kun." Maria said tactfully her brow twitching. He nodded not seeming to realize his mistake. Kuon placed a hand on my shoulder.

"How'd you know about the shooting targets?"

"Because I know you prefer guns over darts unlike Yashiro." _**Hope you live through tomorrow, Yashiro.**_

"That sneaky little bastard." Kuon muttered almost inaudibly.


	14. Chapter 13

_**Kuon's POV**_

I was in a foul mood all the way back to my apartment. Maria and Ryuji had just come to greet us so they went home soon after we arrived.

"Oh, come on, Kuon. Lighten up a little." Kyoko said from the passenger seat. "Just because Yashiro let it slip about the dart board isn't reason enough to kill him." She added winking.

"I'm supposed to be the perfect gentleman, one blemish on that reputation and my fan base would plummet." I told her bluntly. She laughed.

"Actually a lot of people would think it's kind of sweet. I mean what man isn't jealous or envious or something of his girlfriend's ex?" She pointed out. I shrugged.

"Yes, but how many of those men have a picture of said ex on a dart board or shooting targets of them?" I asked her. Kyoko nodded reluctantly.

"Good point, but how many of those men are as head over heels as you are for me? I mean you even published a book trying to get me back." She said smiling softly.

"How many guys have such a woman as you to win over?" I asked her winking. She blushed.

"There are plenty of women more talented and beautiful than I am." Kyoko said as I pulling into a parking spot outside my apartment complex. I snorted.

"There is no woman more talented, beautiful, caring, sweet, or charming in the world."

"Will you two stop it?! I'm about to puke!" Yuki said shivering as he stepped out of the car.

I chuckled walking around the car and opened Kyoko's door for her. Her cheeks had faint tints of red in them as she climbed out.

"If you want to puke now just wait until you see your ojii-san with your obaa-san." I said barely suppressing a shiver. He rolled his eyes.

"So what's your apartment number?" Yuki asked waiting by the front doors. I rolled my eyes as I went inside. Yuki and Kyoko followed wordlessly. Once inside, Yuki started gawking at every little thing. Kyoko had been there several times before so nothing was new.

"Welcome back, Hizuri-san." The doorman said. I nodded to him and went towards my apartment.

"Still number 20?" Kyoko asked feeling a bit nostalgic. I smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, still have that overnight bag of yours stashed somewhere in the guest room." I added. Kyoko abruptly halted.

"You kept that all these years?" I shrugged.

"I didn't want to let go of you." I said snaking my arm around her waist. She scowled but made no attempts to wriggle out of my grasp. I smiled to myself as I unlocked the door. I winced as I witnessed my living room.

"Kuon?" Kyoko asked sweetly as she took my arm of her waist. I gulped and glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. She was smiling but her pitch black aura said otherwise.

"Yes, Kyoko?" I asked taking a few sidesteps. She turned her smile to me.

"Didn't we have an agreement?"

"Did we?" I asked pretending to forget. Kyoko walked over to the pyramid of beer bottles on the coffee table and picked up the top bottle.

"Yes, right after we starting going out. I made you promise to stop drinking." She said gripping the bottle tightly. "I guess our old promises didn't mean much." She said smiling wistfully.

"So do I get the guest room or the couch?" Yuki asked trying to break the tension. Kyoko stared at him confused.

"The couch, of course. Why would you think you might sleep in the guest room?" It took me a moment to get what Yuki was implying. He smirked.

"Why would three people be able to use two beds instead of three?" Kyoko's brows frowned in confusion.

"Two people would have to share a…" She trailed off as she realized what he was getting at. Her face flush and she threw the empty beer bottle at Yuki. He caught it as she stomped off to the guest bedroom.

"That was quite offensive, Yuki. Kyoko still has she actress' pride you know." Yuki's smirk reappeared.

"So you have no desire what so ever to have Maman in your bed?" I shrugged.

"I do, but if I make that desire known, it wouldn't come true." I started to clean up the numerous beer bottle pyramids.

"Good luck, Papa."

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I was utterly shock at how pristine the guest bedroom was. The bed was made with cream sheets and a pink comforter; the curtains were pressed, white and lacy; the floor was spotless; in other words the exact opposite of Kuon's living room. I set my suitcase by the bed and started unpacking. The dark maple dresser was empty except for a few changes of clothes I left in case I pulled an overnight acting session. I smiled. He'd left the room exactly the same as it was before I left. There was a knock at the door.

"Maman, Papa and I were thinking about going out to lunch. Do you want to come with us?" Yuki asked cracking open the door.

"No, and you two are not going out to eat. Lately, Kuon has been eating out way too often, so today you two are getting a home cooked meal." I said walking over to him. Yuki grinned.

"Papa, you owe me 500 yen." He called over his shoulder. I sighed.

"Yuki, how many times have I told you to stop gambling?" He shrugged.

"I stopped counting when I entered middle school." I rolled my eyes as I passed him heading to the spacious kitchen. Kuon was picking up the last remnants of the beer bottles in the living room.

"Do you have any food in the refrigerator?" I asked picking up a few bottles. Kuon shrugged.

"I don't know. But if anything is in there I doubt it's still good." I shook my head. _**He never changes.**_

"How much cash do you have?" He took out his wallet and peeked inside.

"10,000 yen, why?" I snatched his wallet and head for the door.

"Food isn't free you know." I closed the door behind me. It had been years since I had been to the supermarket a few blocks away from Kuon's apartment but it didn't seem to have changed. I got a cart and started browsing down the aisles putting things in the cart every once in a while. Someone bumped into my as I put a bag of rice in my cart.

"Sorry, Ojou-san. I didn't see you there." A teenage boy said. He was at least 30cm shorter than Yuki with bleached hair, bagging clothing and muddy brown eyes. After he took a good look at me he smirked. "All alone, Ojou-san?" He asked. I narrowed my eyes at him and started to walk away. He grabbed my arm.

"It's polite to answer when some asks you a question." I gritted my teeth.

"Let go of me." He smirked.

"Make me." I smirked as I grasped his wrist digging my nails in. Instantly, he released my arm.

"You bitch!" He pulled back his fist to hit me but someone caught his wrist before he could even try. Yuki glared at the boy. He flinched.

"Who do you think you were about to punch?" Yuki asked smiling down at him. He definitely had his otou-san's smile.

"Yuki, let him go." He grumbled but did so. The boy was staring at Yuki.

"'Yuki' as in the Mogami Yuki?" He asked shaking. I sighed.

"Looks like girl aren't the only ones who know you exist." I said grabbing Yuki's arm and towing him to the check out. I didn't have everything I wanted but it would suffice for a few days. After paying for the groceries we went back to Kuon's apartment. Kuon was waiting for us when we got back.

"Kyoko, next time don't just take my wallet and leave." He said taking some of the shopping bags from Yuki. I shrugged.

"I'm going to go to a currency exchange with Maria tomorrow then we're going shopping." I said unpacking the bags and putting things away. Kuon tried to help but had no idea where to put anything. "Sometimes I wonder how you ever survived without me." He smiled.

"I probably wouldn't have. Thanks to you I made it to 15 without committing suicide. The psychiatrist I was seeing in America was amazed I hadn't cracked yet." I gave him a one-arm hug.

"Well, I'm glad you're still here." Yuki made a gagging noise. We scowled at him over our shoulders.

"I swear you two are newlyweds or something by the way you're talking to each other. If you're going to be like that, do it when I'm out of hearing range." I rolled my eyes.

"If you don't like it," I started.

"You can leave." Kuon finished for me. Yuki shivered.

"I'm beginning to wonder if you two were really apart for 15 years." He said disappearing into the living room. We laughed.

"Looks like he may be having second thoughts about you officially becoming his otou-san." I said still a little high from the laughter.

"Well, he's going to have to get used to it."

"Have you found anything yet?" I asked peeking into the living room to make sure Yuki wouldn't overhear us. He was plopped in front of the TV flipping through the channels. Kuon shook his head.

"I made some calls before we left France, so far nothing's turned up. But you have to start thinking about what will happen after we get Aoi back from your okaa-san." I finished putting away the last of the groceries as Kuon wrapped his arms around my shoulders. "When we find Aoi are you going to go back to Paris? Or are you going to stay here with me?" He asked. I shook my head.

"I don't know, Kuon. If I do stay here I would have to have someone take over the restaurant, move everything out of my apartment, we'd probably have to find a new apartment or a house, we'd have to enroll the kids in school, Yuki wants to become an actor so we'd have to talk to the president and figure everything out, and who knows how emotionally scarred Aoi will be." This trip was feeling less and less like a vacation.

_**Kuon's POV**_

I released Kyoko and let her get to work on lunch. Even if I offered my help she would deny me access to the kitchen. A few failed attempts at cooking and Kyoko wouldn't let me set foot in my own kitchen while she was cooking. I sat down next to Yuki on the couch. He was watching a rerun of _Box 'R'_. I couldn't help but smirked as Natsu walked on screen.

"Papa, isn't that Maman?" Yuki asked staring at Natsu.

"Yes, it is. Fascinating watching her act isn't?" He nodded absently watching the scene. He flinched at the sight of Natsu smile.

"I've seen that smile before." I smirked.

"Frightening isn't it? You can partially blame me for that. I help her with her character creation." Yuki shivered.

"And I thought BJ was bad. Who knows what other characters you have up your sleeves." I chuckled and patted him on the back.

"Don't worry. I don't use my characters outside of filming." Yuki looked at me doubtfully.

"Sure you don't, Otou-san." I whipped my head around to look at Yuki.

"Did you just call me Otou-san?" He rolled his eyes.

"I'm going to have to get used to calling it since the chances of Okaa-san falling head over heels for you again is quite likely." I laughed.

"Don't get too far ahead of yourself, Yuki. There are many factors you have never even considered. Like Kyoko's okaa-san." Yuki raised an eyebrow.

"You've met her?" I shook my head.

"I've heard plenty about her. She's one heck of a witch. You should have seen little Kyoko when she didn't get hundreds on her tests. She'd either had two nasty bruises on her cheeks or some her back. That woman was a twisted, bitter, malicious witch."

"Don't you mean 'bitch'?" He asked innocently. I tapped him on the back of the head.

"Don't be using that kind of language when your okaa-san can hear you." I glanced into the kitchen. Kyoko was busy fretting over something on the stove. "Do it quietly when you can't get caught. Helps to keep her thinking you're one of the few gentleman left." Yuki laughed.

"Did you practice that when you were my age?"

"I didn't care anymore at that age but the years before I made damn sure I did."

"Kuon, didn't I tell you to stop swearing?" Kyoko called from the kitchen. Yuki fell off the couch laughing.


	15. Chapter 14

Okay there may be a few errors since I was rushing to get this chapter done in time for the release of chapter 150 of the manga.

Hope you all enjoy ~ Mangawolfgirl96

_**

* * *

Kyoko's POV**_

I tiptoed down out of the guest bedroom and to the door. I set my purse down as I pulled on a pair of white heels that complimented my outfit. I was wearing a brown strapless ruffled top with a pair of grey slacks. I glanced at Yuki who was still asleep on the couch. I grabbed a piece of paper, jotted down a quick note, and slipped out the door, a spare key safely tucked away in my purse. Maria was waiting by the doors next to a black Porsche. Her hair was tied back into a loose pony tail with a few strands framing her face. She was wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans with grey heels.

"Ready to convert some Euros into yen and go shopping?" Maria asked excited. I smiled and climbed into the passenger seat.

"Let's hurry because I have no idea when Kuon's going to wake up and he won't be a happy camper when he finds out I'm not there." She rolled her eyes and started the engine. It took us 20 minutes to get to the currency exchange and exchange my Euros for yen.

"Off to the mall!" Maria cried happily as we peeled out of the parking lot. _**Note to self: never let Maria drive to the mall.**_ Five minutes later, we were walking into the mall looking at window displays. A group of men walked up to us.

"Hey, Ojou-sans, how 'bout we go for karaoke." We rolled are eyes and walked away. One of them grabbed Maria's arm.

"We're talking to you here." He said annoyed we were ignoring them. Maria and I glared at them. I reached in my purse for my pepper spray. A second man grabbed my purse guessing what I was reaching for.

_**Let me out, Kyoko.**_ Mio whispered. I clenched my teeth. Right now Mio was not my best option.

_**Why not give me a try, Kyoko?**_ Mamori asked. Aiko Mamori was a role from one of my later dramas. She was a karate instructor who had suffered a terrible accident rendering her deaf.

_**Oh, no you two have been let out more often than I have. It's my turn.**_ I could feel Natsu smirking. I sighed. She seemed like the best option. I let Natsu have free reign. I smiled flirtatiously at the group.

"Sorry, boys, it sounds like fun but my friend and I are awful busy so we'll have to decline." I said yanking the first one's hand of Maria. I turned on my heels and walked away dragging a stunned Maria with me. "Ah, it's so good to be outside." Maria stopped, tugging me to a stop as well.

"Okay, Natsu-san, Kyoko onee-sama and I are here for to buy a swimsuit for her. We can't just go off flirting with any handsome guy you happen to see." She said firmly. I chuckled.

"Okay, Maria-chan." I let her lead me to the nearest clothing store. She led me straight to its seasonal department. Maria grabbed a few swimsuits, and shoved me and the swimsuits into an empty changing room. I stared at the swimsuits blankly as Natsu disappeared. There were a total of five swimsuits, each a different design and color. There was a red rash top and trunks combo with white flowers on them, an ice blue bikini with white trim, a pink one piece with a black dragon going up the back, a black bikini top and board shorts combo, and a dark green strapless bikini that was held together in front by a bronze ring. I model each one for Maria and we decided on the green bikini.

I hurriedly paid for the bikini and we headed back to Kuon's apartment. I waved to Maria as she left. I jogged inside and down the hall to Kuon's apartment. As expected when I opened the door Kuon was there waiting for me, a gentlemanly smile stretched across his lips.

"Nice of you to come back so early, Kyoko." I gulped.

"Well, it didn't take that long at the currency exchange and the shopping took maybe 20 minutes." I shifted on my feet nervously. Kuon grabbed my hand and walked over to the couch where a poor unsuspecting Yuki was sleeping. Kuon rolled him off the couch and onto the floor, throwing me on the couch. I landed with a squeak of surprise. He loomed over me.

"Do you know why I don't want you going somewhere without me?" He asked lowering his face so it was centimeters away from mine. His eyes were fierce yet frightened. I shook my head not trust my voice. "Because whenever you go I don't know if you're coming back." Kuon whispered collapsing onto of me. He wrapped his arms around as if I was going to disappear. I caressed his hair gently.

"For the about the next three months I'm not going anywhere, Kuon." A groan came from the floor.

"Foxtrot uniform Charlie kilo." Yuki muttered lifting himself off the floor.

"Yuki, how many times have I told you not to use phonetic spelling to swear?" I scolded him still under Kuon who chuckled. Yuki raised his head so he could see us and immediately covered his eyes.

"God, can't you two do that in one of your rooms?!" He said trying to find his way up. I pushed Kuon off me, swung my legs over the side of the couch, and kicked Yuki.

"We weren't doing anything!" I was sure my cheeks were already a deep crimson. He peaked through his fingers.

"Really?" He asked Kuon. Kuon nodded and I could see a flicker of disappointment in his eyes. I growled.

"That's it! I am packing my stuff and getting a hotel room!" I said storming off to the guest bedroom.

_**Kuon's POV**_

"I blame you for this." I got off the couch and headed for the guest bedroom.

"Why the heck did I do?!" Yuki shouted after me. I knocked on the guest bedroom door.

"Go away." It was muffled but the voice was definitely Kyoko's.

"I will admit Yuki jumped to the wrong conclusion, but that's not enough of a reason to get a hotel room." She snorted.

"And having a man wanting to get you in his bed right down the hall isn't?" I winced.

"What man doesn't want the woman he loves in his bed?" She sighed and opened the door.

"I know that, Kuon. It's just I can't take those kind of chances right now. I have one troublemaker and one missing I don't need to worry about a third one on the way." It took me a moment to process the information.

"So the idea of having sex with me isn't repulsive to you? It's the risk of pregnancy?" Kyoko blushed and nodded meekly. I smiled.

"Don't worry. I won't force you. I'll wait until things settle down." I bent down and was about to kiss her when she slammed the door shut right in my face. I cursed rubbing my aching nose.

"You didn't have to do that." I shouted at her going back out to the living room. Yuki was smiling and biting his lower lip to keep from laugh.

"Looks like this is going to be a long summer."

"I hope so. I want to enjoy as much of it as I can but I'll probably be pretty busy." Yuki patted my back.

"Well it can't be helped."

"That reminds me. We have a meeting today." I grabbed my car keys off the counter and head to the door.

"'We'? Why do I get to come with you?" I slipped on my shoes and handed Yuki his shoes.

"Because I'm introducing you to the president of LME." Yuki froze with one foot shoed and the other in the air with half of the shoe on.

"Why?" He asked suspiciously. I chuckled.

"Because if he finds out on his own he's never going to let me live it down." I opened the door and waited for Yuki to finish putting his shoes on. He hobbled out trying to get his other shoes on. I chuckled and headed to the parking lot. My car was close to the doors so it was easy to find. After I climbed in I opened the glove compartment and handed Yuki a blue baseball cap and a pair of reflective sunglasses. He put them on silently.

"Do I have to wear this because I'm your son or because I'm recognizable as Mogami Yuki the best street fighter of Paris?" I chuckled.

"Both."

"So what's the president of LME like?" It was hard of a way to think of a way to describe him.

"Eccentric, flamboyant, and loving?" I was uncertain if the words could actually describe the president of LME, Takarada Lory.

"Well, at least he's not boring." I laughed.

"No one's who's ever heard of him would use the word 'boring' to describe him. He's one of the reasons why your okaa-san was able to become an actress. President Takarada created the famous Love me section." Yuki cocked an eyebrow.

"Is it really that famous?" I nodded.

"It's mostly because of the uniform and two of the actresses who were in the Love Me section. Only one of them actually graduated, though. But both of them are famous actresses. Those actresses are your okaa-san and Kotonami-chan." Yuki smirked.

"I always knew Maman was special." I laughed.

"In many ways she is. If Sawada-san was still here I'd introduce him to you. He could tell you just how special Kyoko is." In no time I was pulling into the LME parking garage. After parking we headed directly to the president's office, avoiding as much social contact possible. The president's secretary happily led us into his office. The President was leaning back in his chair with his feet on his desk and, to my surprise, was wearing a business suit.

"So how was shooting?"

"Good, a few problems with Tokomi-san but Kyoko straightened those out." At the mention of Kyoko's name, which I had banded anyone from saying in my presence, made the president's eyes grow wide with shock. His eyes drifted to look at Yuki.

"And this is?" I took a deep breath.

"This is Mogami Yuki," The President froze. "He's Kyoko and my son." The president's face lit up like fireworks. He got up from his chair and rushed over to inspect Yuki. The president threw off Yuki's sunglasses and the baseball cap and started looking Yuki up and down.

"His height is between yours and Kyoko's. He has your features, but his mother's hair." The president mumbled and smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Yuki. I am Takarada Lory, the president of LME. Is Kyoko here with you today?" His eyes were shining with hope.

"No, she's back at Tou-san's apartment." A sly smile spread across the president's face.

"Oh, ho! So you're staying at Kuon's place." I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, they are. And Kyoko is sleeping in the guest bedroom." The president sighed.

"Kuu would be so disappointed he has only one grandchild." Yuki shrugged.

"Kuu jii-chan didn't seem to mind much. He was actually quite happy." The president raised an eyebrow.

"He met Kuu before you brought him to meet me?" I rolled my eyes again.

"Tou-san met Yuki before I did. He happened to be having lunch at Kyoko's restaurant in Paris and met Yuki." The president chuckled. "Maria also met him before you did. But she doesn't know about him being my son." He grumbled.

"Who all knows?"

"Beside the people that have already been mentioned? Okaa-san, Kotonami-chan, Hiou-kun, and Hime-chan. I think Hime-chan has known of Yuki's existence longer than the rest of us."

"Oh?" I grabbed Yuki in a head lock.

"This little guy has his own fan websites, because he's the top street fighter in Paris. The girls just love him because he's a mama's boy but he's still rebellious." It took Yuki a few minutes to escape my head lock. The president grinned.

"Do you have any interest in showbiz, my good boy?"


	16. Chapter 15

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I stormed up the stairs to the president's office wearing a black beret and dark sunglasses. As I approached the secretary stood up and blocked my path.

"I'm sorry, Miss. But President Takarada is in a very important meeting right now and—" She didn't have time to finish as I kicked open the door to the president's office. The president, Kuon and Yuki looked up as the door swung open and slammed into the wall. I marched straight up to Kuon.

"You hypocritical bastard. I have to tell you when and where I'm going and for how long I'll be gone. But you can just take my son and go without saying a word to me. Yuki is my son and I am not having him end up like Aoi. Do I make myself clear?"

"Hai, hai." I growled at him.

"You'd better watch it, Kuon. I may not come back again." Kuon straightened and stared into my eyes seeing if I was seriously threatening him or not.

"You're serious." It wasn't a question.

"Damn right, I'm serious. I have enough on my plate right now and I don't need reporters on top of it. If something like this happens again, after I find my okaa-san I'll be on a one way flight back to Paris and I won't be planning a return trip." Kuon nodded sharply. I grabbed Yuki's collar and dragged him down the stairs to the waiting cab.

"Why are you trying to find your okaa-san now, Maman?" I bit my lip.

"I have some things I need to settle with her." Yuki cocked an eyebrow.

"Do those things have anything to do with this 'Aoi' person?" I hesitated and nodded.

"Yes, Aoi is closely tied in." He frowned.

"The name sounds familiar but I can't put my finger on where I heard it before." I shrugged.

"You knew her when you were around three. I doubt if you remember her." He nodded.

"Yeah, I never have been able to remember much from before I was four." The reason why was because Aoi's kidnapping was too traumatic for him. The months after Okaa-san disappeared with Aoi still gave me nightmares. The car ride was quiet for the rest of the trip back to Kuon's apartment.

_**Kuon's POV**_

"That was unexpected." The president snorted.

"When an mother bear's children are in danger she will do whatever it takes to keep them safe." I shrugged. "Kuon, why does Kyoko-chan want to find her okaa-san?" I slowly closed the door.

"She's looking for her daughter, Aoi. Twelve years ago, Kyoko's okaa-san kidnapped Aoi and is currently holding her somewhere. If Kyoko shows up in any newspaper or magazine Aoi may not survive it." The president froze.

"Is this woman _sane_?" I shrugged.

"I don't know but I know one thing." The president raised a brow as he went back to his chair. "That woman is nothing more than a cruel, heartless, gold digging bitch." He whistled.

"From the sound of that curse I'm starting to get the feeling you aren't going to deal with Mogami-san pleasantly.

"What makes you think that?" I asked giving him my best gentleman smile.

"I get it, Kuon. You can put away that smile now." I let my smile fade and sighed.

"President, I need your help." He smiled.

"I'm all ears."

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I smiled mischievous as I came up behind Yuki wearing loose white flip-flops carrying a beach bag with swimsuits for Yuki and me, two beach towels, a couple water bottles, sunscreen, two hats and two pairs of sunglasses. I tickled Yuki and he let out a girlish scream.

"Maman!" He was blushing ear to ear.

"Ready to see the beaches of Japan?" I asked him holding up the bag. A broad grin stretched across his lips. But slowly he frowned.

"I just realized I don't have a swimsuit." I smiled and pulled out a pair of black swim trunks. Yuki stared at them.

"Did you buy a swimsuit for me?" I shook my head.

"Nope, I grabbed one of Kuon's. They look about the right size. They have a drawstring waist so you can tighten them if you need to." He laughed.

"Otou-san's going to be mad when we get back." He hopped off the couch and disappeared into the kitchen. I stuffed the trunks back into the bag. After a few second he reappeared and head for the door. He slipped on a pair of black sandals and we were off. We caught a cab and went to the nearest beach.

I breathed in the fresh sea air as we climbed out of the cab. Yuki was gazing in wonder at the sea.

"Wow, the waters so clear!" He was boiling with excitement just waiting to dive head first into the water. I had taken Yuki to public pools before so he would know how to swim just in case something happened. I laughed and headed down the beach. I found a good spot near the water and laid out the towels.

"Yuki, can you watch our spot while I go get changed?" I asked picking up the beach bag. He grumbled as he pulled on a hat and sunglasses.

"Go ahead. But don't take too long, Okaa-san. I want to get swimming as soon as possible." I rolled my eyes and head to the changing rooms. I slipped into a vacant stall and quickly changed into the green swimsuit I had picked out with Maria-chan. I slipped on a pair of sunglasses and headed back to where an impatient Yuki was waiting. A few boys whistled as I passed earning them slaps from their girlfriends. I giggled as Yuki bolted up seeing me. I handed him the bag and laid down on one of the towels.

"I'll be back in a few minutes, Okaa-san." I rolled my eyes as he sprinted to the changing rooms.

"I can't believe your boyfriend actually left you here by yourself, Ojou-san." I turned to see a boy maybe 17 grinning down at me. I smiled back politely.

"It's his first time in Japan so he's excited." The boy raised an eyebrow.

"You're a foreigner?" I laughed.

"Not at all, I'm 100 percent Japanese, but I've been living in France for 15 years." The boy grinned.

"How old were you when you moved?"

"20." The boy stared at me his jaw open. Yuki came up behind him smirking.

"Getting hit on again, Kaa-san?" I scowled at him as the boy took off.

"I suppose he was." I said taking the beach bag from him. He shrugged. I rolled my eyes. "Go ahead and swim, Yuki. I'll be fine sunbathing." He smiled and took off for the water. Yuki had always loved being in water. Suddenly, a bottle of water was emptied onto my face. I spat out the water and turned to glare at the culprit. I was shocked to see Hime-chan wearing a navy bikini standing over me.

"Go. Die. Bitch." She hissed at me. I laughed. Hime-chan stared at me like I had three heads. "You do realize I'm threatening you, right?" I nodded.

"And you have nothing to fear, Hime-chan. Where's Moko-san and Hiou-kun?" She stared at me.

"You know who I am and who my parents are. Who are you?" I smiled and stuck out a hand.

"Mogami Kyoko, I'm Yuki's okaa-san." A blush spread across her cheeks.

"I am so sorry, Kyoko ba-chan! I had no idea you were his okaa-san." She said bowing. I giggled.

"Don't worry about it, Hime-chan." She smiled.

"Thanks, Kyoko ba-chan. Kaa-san and Tou-san are off at a location shoot in Osaka. I caught a cab because I felt like going swimming. I never would've thought Yuki-sama would be here." Her eyes began shining. I could see my 12 year old self in Hime-chan.

"Here's a tip, don't call him Yuki-sama. He's not really into fan clubs and such. So instead of treating him like a god, treat him like the human being he is." She nodded excited at the new information.

"So what's he normally like? All I know is he's supposed to be quite the gentleman as long as you don't frighten or pick a fight with him." I nodded.

"Yeah, Yuki's a good kid. But since he's been the center of female attention since he was in preschool all the other boys started picking on him. Usual he ignore whatever they said but one day one of the boys had a bright idea to insult Mogami Yuki's okaa-san that he loves so dearly. That day he came home with a black eye and a bloody lip. The group of boys that had been bullying him were in the hospital for almost a month. Their parents were outraged believing their sons were little angels who could never even think about harming others." Hime-chan snorted.

"No kid's an angel. Every kid at one time or another has done something bad." I nodded.

"That's right. The parents took me to court on the matter. They were shock speechless when I walked into the courtroom wearing a business suit with Yuki hiding behind my skirt. They turned to their sons and asked 'Boys, what did you do to that boy?' The one boy who had insulted me spoke.

'We called his okaa-san a whore.' He said it loud enough for the whole room to here. His parents apologized so many times I lost track. They dropped the charges and that was that. Unfortunately, the bullying didn't stop. The boys were just becoming more discreet about it." Hime-chan looked like she was about to cry.

"That's horrible! Yuki got the reputation he has now just because he beat up bullies?!" I nodded at the sad truth.

"Yes, sometimes I regret teaching Yuki all the martial arts I learned over the years." She raised an eyebrow. "I used to be an actress before Yuki was born. His otou-san is a quite famous actor too." Hime-chan clapped her hands together squealing.

"I knew it! With a face like that he had to come from someone famous." I laughed.

"His otou-san isn't the only famous one." She smiled.

"I know. Kaa-san always raves about you. The actress Mogami Kyoko, 'a once in a century talent.' I've watched both _Dark Moon_ and _Box 'R'_. You're Mio and Natsu and awesome." I blushed at her praise.

"Thank you. But most of the credit goes to Kuon. He was the one who helped me develop both characters." Hime-chan smiled slyly.

"So Kuon ji-chan is Yuki's Tou-san?" I laughed.

"You're as sly as Yashiro, Hime-chan. Yes, Kuon is Yuki's otou-san." She squealed.

"I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!" Hime-chan began chanting pulling me up to dance with her. I laughed. Suddenly she started dragging me to the water.

"Let's go swimming!" She said cheerfully. I laughed and raced her to the water. I reached the water first and smiled smugly. Hime-chan pushed me into the water causing me to yelp in surprise. I winced my ass connecting with the rocks underneath the water. I scowled up at her. She shrugged. I grabbed her arm and pulled her into the water. We laughed and started splashing each other.

"Hey, you two, care if I join in?" Yuki asked coming up behind Hime-chan. She twisted around and smiled.

"Sure." She said splashing him. He stood dumbfounded that a girl would actually splash him. He smiled and splashed her back. Soon, they were in an all-out splash war. I was laughing all the while. They scowled at me. Slowly, smirks stretched across their faces. I scrambled up and trudged through the shallow water trying to get to a place I could dive under knowing the intentions of the two teens. As soon as the water was deep enough I dived underneath and set my plan into motion.


	17. Chapter 16

_**Kuon's POV**_

I walked into my apartment and immediately noticed the absence of Kyoko and Yuki. I sighed and started searching for some sort of note. After entering the kitchen I spotted a small note on the counter.

Otou-san,  
Okaa-san and I are going to a nearby beach. We should be back in an hour or so.

I rolled my eyes. Kyoko never seemed to listen to me unless it involved acting. I pondered going after them but decided against it. While they were gone I could work on getting a few leads on Kyoko's mother. I was surprised when there was a knock at the door. Curiously, I opened the door. I revealed an older woman with her black hair pulled back into a tight bun her brown eyes were cold and hard.

"Hizuri-san I presume?" I nodded slowly. The woman was strangely familiar. "I am here to warn you to stay away from my daughter. If I hear any word that she has reconciled with you, be prepared to face the consequences." Kyoko's mother turned on her heels and was about to walk away.

"Where is Aoi?" She froze and slowly turned back.

"That horrid whore told you of your children." It wasn't a question.

"Where is Aoi?" I repeated my patience thinning.

"She is no of your concern." She turned to leave again. I grabbed her shoulder.

"Aoi is my daughter. I have every right to be concerned about her. You have no right to hold her hostage. Aoi deserves to be with her mother and her brother." Kyoko's mother glared at me over her shoulder. She tried to brush off my hand but my grip remained.

"That whore does not know how to take care of her children and my husband is in need of an heir. Aoi is perfectly content with her current living arrangements." I smirked.

"Sure she is. I bet the press would have a field day when they found out you kidnapped your own granddaughter. Your husband's political career would be over and he would blame you." She continued to glare at me.

"Threats will gain you nothing." I shrugged.

"I'm not looking to gain anything. I'm looking to take back my daughter." Kyoko's mother narrowed her eyes at me.

"Why? Having Aoi, that whore and her son by your side gain you nothing. Why do you want them next to you?" I scowled at her.

"It doesn't matter if I gain anything from them or not. I like being Kyoko, Aoi and Yuki not because it will gain me something but because being around them makes me happy." She snorted.

"Who needs happiness when you have wealth?" I clenched my fist.

"You're going to regret taking Aoi." She smirked.

"I'll be waiting, Hizuri-san." Kyoko's mother turned on her heels and stalked out of the building. A war was about to begin.__

_**

* * *

Kyoko's POV**_

As Yuki and Hime searched for me, I circled behind them. Slowly I swam toward their legs. I grabbed the ankles closet to each other and pulled them towards me. They fell and hit each other. I popped up to see where they hit each other and was stunned. I have no idea how but when their legs were pulled out from under them they were at just the right height for their lips to hit each other. Hime and Yuki were staring at each other. Slowly they both pulled away, blushing. Suddenly, they turned to me.

"You caused this!" They shouted lunging for me. I quickly dived under the water and started swimming away. Not the smartest thing to do when your son is a hell of a lot faster in water than he is on land. Yuki grabbed my leg and pulled my out of the water. I smiled sheepishly at him.

"I didn't think _that_ would happen. I'm sorry." He scowled at me.

"You better be. I'm still trying to get used to being around girls and you are not helping. You also know I like Hime-san." He whispered angrily.

"Want some help with that? I could always invite Moko-san to go shopping and since Hime-chan is still somewhat young I could persuade Moko-san to have you baby sit her." Yuki ponder it for a moment but stopped seeing a smirk cross my face.

"No, I will do this myself. I do not need your help. I mean how would you feel if someone was trying to set you up with Otou-san?" I nodded remembering my own little cupids' schemes.

"Okay, I'll leave things up to you. But if you need help you'll ask me or Kuon." He nodded.

"How 'bout we head back? Otou-san's going to be mad that you didn't tell him you were going somewhere and if we take too long he's going to get even madder." I rolled my eyes.

"Why not? We'll have to pack up the towels and change. Would you like to come too, Hime-chan?" I asked her. She hesitated.

"If I wouldn't be a nuisance then I would love to." I smiled. Yuki glared at me from the corner of his eye. I ignored it and headed back to shore.

_**

* * *

Kuon's POV**_

I shrugged out of my coat and grabbed the phone. I dialed the number of a friend of mine.

"Kamiji Yuu speaking."

"Hey, Yuu, it's Kuon. I was wondering if you could help me with something." Yuu paused.

"Please tell me you aren't calling from jail." I rolled his eyes.

"No, I'm calling from my kitchen."

"Okay, then I might be able to help you. What's the case?"

"There's not one yet and I'm hoping you can help me."

"Okay, what's the problem?"

"I won't be able to tell you the full details yet but I can tell you most of it. A girl was kidnapped 13 years ago in France, her single mother is a Japanese citizen, by her grandmother and taken to Japan. The mother and her son are here in Japan, both witnessed the kidnapping but they can't do anything about it because the grandmother is threatening to kill the girl." Yuu whistled.

"That's quite the case. I'll become famous if I can pull it off. But I need to know the motive here, Kuon." I sighed.

"The girl's grandmother remarried a politician. She thought the girl's mother would hindrance her new husband's political career. She went to France to threaten her daughter and found her with her two children. You can guess what happened." Yuu paused.

"Why would the mother be a hindrance?" I hesitated.

"She was an actress and a quite famous one."

"Ah, this is a personal favor to someone."

"No, Yuu this is for me."

"So the girl's your daughter?"

"Damn straight and if you tell a soul you better hope your ghost can make a good case against me." There was a pause while Yuu shivered.

"I understand, dude. What's the grandmother's name?"

"No clue. All I have is an old last name." Yuu sighed.

"You don't even know the name of your girlfriend's mother? No wonder she ran away to France." I growled at him.

"Don't even joke about that, Yuu. And she doesn't like to talk about her mother. No abused child does."

"Oh, god. Dude, I'm sorry. I didn't know. I can probably find something though. What's the name?"

"Mogami." Yuu was silent.

"I know that name. A woman with that name was one of my dad's clients. Mogami Saena was her name. She had a heart of steel. I was five when she first came in dragging a little one year girl behind her. I remember the girl better then the woman. The girl had the most unusual color eyes."

"Amber." I muttered rubbing my temples.

"So that girl's yours. She's what? Thirty five now?"

"Yes, but she often mistaken for 16." Yuu laughed.

"Can't wait to meet her, Kuon. The only time I have free this week is tomorrow at 10 am. Make sure to bring your girlfriend and her son."

"I can bring my girlfriend, but my son's not going to come. He doesn't remember his sister because the kidnapping had a big impact on him psychologically." Yuu sighed.

"Fine, but make sure you bring your girlfriend and don't be late."

"I won't be late, Yuu. I want my daughter out of the clutches of that bitch as soon as possible." He grunted in response and hung up. I set the phone down and rested my hands on the counter._** She wanted a war and I'm going to give her one.**_

_**

* * *

Kyoko's POV**_

I chatted happily with Hime-chan about Yuki's most embarrassing moments on the ride back to Kuon's apartment. Yuki's blush spread all the way down his neck.

"Do you two _have_ to talk about the most embarrassing moments of my life?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"Yes." We said as if it was obvious. My future daughter-in-law had to know everything about her future husband including his most embarrassing moments. Yuki scowled.

"Did Julie baa-san do this as well?" He asked. I smiled.

"Yep, but she had a photo album of all the moments." Yuki's jaw hung open.

"How long was Tou-san out?"

"Only a few hours."

_*Flashback*_

_Kuon stared horror stricken at what his mother and I were looking through._

"_Kaa-san, where did you find that?" He asked reaching for the book. I closed it and hugged it to my chest._

"_I have a copy of everything, Kuon. Just because you burned the first album doesn't mean it's gone." He clenched his teeth._

"_Kyoko, may I see that photo album?" Kuon asked smiling. I flinched and immediately surrendered the album. He flipped to the page we had been looking at, a blushed spread across his face and down his neck. We'd been looking at a picture of him when he was about five standing up in the bathtub. He staggered to the couch and fainted onto it._

_*End flashback*_

Yuki sighed.

"You want to make me miserable, don't you?" I looked at him a little hurt.

"No, I'm just showing her what you were like when you were younger. Yes, some of the things are embarrassing, but Hime-chan's going to find out about them sooner or later." He couldn't argue, my statement was airtight.

"Whatever." I smiled. The cab pulled up outside Kuon's apartment complex. I handed the driver the fare and climbed out. Hime-chan and Yuki were waiting by the doors. I jogged over and we went inside. I opened the door to Kuon's apartment and was surprised to see him sitting calmly on the couch watching TV.

"Hey, honey. How was the beach?"

"It was great. Yuki, Hime-chan and I had a lot of fun. Did Yuki leave a note?" Kuon nodded.

"And didn't I ask you to _tell_ me when you go out?" I rolled my eyes.

"I am a 35 year old woman, Kuon. I took care of myself and Yuki for the past 15 years and I can still take care of myself now." He nodded.

"You can take care of yourself, but I still want to protect you." I sighed kicking off my sandals. I plopped down beside Kuon and snuggled into his side.

"I know you want to protect me, Kuon. But you're going overboard. Remember what I did to Sho when he tried to do something?" He smiled at the memory.

"That reminds me. Hey, Yuki, want to go shooting on Sunday? I know a great range here in Tokyo." Yuki smiled. He'd always had a fascination for guns.

"Sure." A simple answer full of excitement and anticipation. I smiled and laid my head on Kuon's shoulder. They were bounding as father and son.

"You don't have anything planned tomorrow, do you?" Kuon asked me. I looked up at him.

"No, why?"

"We have a meeting with a friend of mine. His name's Kamiji Yuu." I nodded grimly. I had heard of Kamiji-san before. He was said to be a great lawyer and once he accepted a case he stuck with it.

"What do you need a lawyer for, Kuon ji-chan?" Hime-chan asked. Yuki raised a brow. I laughed.

"No, no. Kuon just wants to introduce me to one of his friends that's all."

"Ah." Yuki narrowed his eyes as Hime-chan accepted the lie. He was not at all happy to be lied to.


	18. Chapter 17

_**Kuon's POV**_

I held the door open for Kyoko as she walked into Yuu's firm. She smiled.

"Thank you, Kuon." She took off her hat letting down her wavy black hair. I noticed a few of the male secretaries drooling over Kyoko. I slipped my arm around her waist. She glanced up at me with a silent question in her eyes. I sighed inwardly. _**When will this woman realize just how beautiful she really is?**_ I walked up to Yuu's secretary and smiled at her.

"We have an appointment with Kamiji-san." She smiled.

"You must be his 10 o'clock. Go on in." I nodded and headed for Yuu's office. Yuu looked up from his desk and grinned.

"Hey, you're earlier for a change." Kyoko giggled besides me. Yuu's eyes drifted to her and he whistled.

"Nice catch, dude." I scowled at him.

"Any luck with building a case?" Yuu grinned.

"Yeah, I've found records of fake death certificates for your girl here and a man named Mogami Ren that were filed 13 years ago. I'll let you know no Mogami Ren exists. I also found a certificate for your girl that's 34 years old." I clenched my jaw.

"That woman didn't want her ex-husband to have Kyoko." She shook slightly beside me. I moved my arm from her waist to her shoulder.

"Don't worry, baby. We'll get her." I whispered to her. She took a deep breath and stop shaking.

"What else have you found?" He grinned mischievously.

"Reports of child abuse, they were thrown out because the accusations were filed by a young boy." I narrowed my eyes at him. "Protective aren't we, Kuon?" Kyoko leaned into my side.

"You always worry, don't you?" I smiled softly.

"Yes I do."

"Okay, enough with the lovey-dovey crap. Now it might be difficult to get this case to court because of Himeji-san, the woman's husband's political power. But if we can prove that girl is your daughter and you did not want her living with your mother we have a chance. It would be better if you son could testify as well but I don't want to push him." Yuu said to Kyoko. She nodded. "Now there's also the issue of Himeji-san taking your daughter from a different country and bringing her back. Do you have the French birth certificate?" Kyoko nodded.

"Yes, I made sure to keep my children's birth certificates in case something like this happened." Yuu grinned.

"You're one smart woman. Do you have any interest in law?" I rolled my eyes.

"Yuu, Kyoko is an actress not an attorney." He shrugged. Kyoko chuckled softly.

"Now, we need to know where this girl is. Do you have any idea where she might be?" Kyoko shook her head.

"No, I haven't spoken to my mother in 13 years." Yuu nodded.

"It shouldn't be too hard to find them, but we need to prove this girl is yours. Does she have a distinctive birth mark or characteristic?"

"Yes, she has my eyes." Yuu grinned.

"Looks like we have ourselves a case. The only problem is how are we going to get it to court?" I smiled.

"Kyoko's supposed to be dead right? Why not let a ghost file the case?" Kyoko smiled mischievously.

"No, I won't file the case," Yuu frowned. "Mio will." He smirked.

"I forgot I was dealing with the famous actress Kyoko."

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I smiled all the way back to Kuon's apartment. Yuki was watching TV when we got back. He barely looked at us as we sat down on either side of him. I smiled sadly recognizing the movie he was watching. _Emerald Empress_ was the last movie I finished before disappearing in Paris. I glanced at Kuon. He was looking at the screen expressionless but I could see the pain in his grey eyes.

"Hey, Kaa-san, isn't that the flower fields outside of Paris?" I nodded.

"Yes, they are. That was the last scene filmed in France." Yuki nodded.

"I remember when you used to bring me there." He frowned. "I also remember a little girl coming with us, but I can't remember who she was." Kuon and I glanced at each other.

"You had plenty of friends who were girls when you were younger, before they started thinking about dating that is." Yuki didn't look convinced.

"No, she wasn't a friend but I can't put my finger on what her relationship with me was." I shrugged.

"I don't know then." He narrowed his eyes.

"You're, lying."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too." Kuon laughed. We glared at him.

"What?" He shrugged, smiling.

"Nothing. It's just you two are like kindergarteners." I growled at him.

"We are having a disagreement that's all. We are resolving it civilly." Kuon coughed.

"'Civilly'? You two are bickering like a pair of kids, with 'Am not' and 'Are too'." I clenched my teeth.

"Okay, you two, that's enough. If you want to fight do it in the bedroom so I don't have to see the aftermath." Kuon and I stared at Yuki, confused. He sighed.

"Do I really have to explain it to you two? Just think what to normal married couples do after fights?" My face turned deep crimson.

"Do you think I'm that kind of woman, Mogami Yuki?!" I screamed at him.

"No, but you did it before, right? If you didn't I wouldn't be here." Kuon laughed.

"I was wrong. I thought he was just like me when I was that age. Now I know he's better than I was." I scowled at him.

"Don't even _think_ of telling him or showing him _anything_. I will make an exception for teaching him how to shoot." Kuon had the nerve to look hurt.

"You make it sound as if I was going to teach him how to kill someone without leaving any evidence." I rolled my eyes.

"Knowing you would probably do it and have him try it out on Sho after he's released from the hospital." Yuki smiled at the idea. "Yuki, he may be a conceited arrogant jerk but is the possibility of you getting caught by the police worth it?" He shook his head reluctantly. "Good you understand."

"But if we eliminate the possibility of getting caught—" Kuon stopped short when I shot him a death glare.

"Kuon, I do not want my son committing murder. He's gotten into plenty of fights but killing someone is a whole other issue." Kuon nodded, trying to look ashamed and failing. "Kuon, if you try to lie to me whether it's facial expressions, body language or straight out lies I will not be staying or coming back ever again. Is that clear?" I asked. I was getting fed up with his antics whether they were to protect me, tease me, or to take revenge on Sho.

_**Kuon's POV**_

Who could really blame me for wanting to take the bastard out? He broke the heart of the already fragile Kyoko, he pursued her even after he broke her heart, and even after Kyoko was taken by me he still had the nerve to call her his. What normal guy wouldn't want to beat his ass?

"Yes, Ma'm." I said with a mock salute. I smirked seeing her eyebrow twitching. Kyoko was so cute when she was mad.

"Kuon?" She asked sweetly. _**Uh-oh.**_

"Yes, Kyoko?" She smiled, getting up off the couch, and walking in front of me.

"Can you guess what I'm about to do?" I nodded clenching my teeth. Seconds later, Kyoko's first connected with my jaw. It hurt like hell but it would have hurt a lot more if I hadn't clench my teeth. Three years of various martial arts and the right motivation made for a very painful experience. While I was checking for permanent damage to my jaw, Yuki had gone to the kitchen and brought back an ice pack.

"It's been years since Okaa-san actually punch someone but she occasional went to a gym in Paris so her punches still hurt." I chuckled and winced at pain that shot through my jaw.

"Her punches are nothing compared to her kicks."

"You've been punched and kicked by Okaa-san?"

"Not full force before. But I costarred with her several times. Some of them had fight scenes between us and she hadn't learned how to pull all the moves correctly yet. Quite a few connected. Kyoko kicks a lot harder than she punches." Yuki shrugged.

"I wouldn't know. I've only seen her punch someone twice including today." I raised an eyebrow.

"Who else did she punch?"

"Some singer. I don't know his name but Okaa-san called him 'Beagle'. She gave him a broken jaw and a broken nose before tossing him outside for the patrons to deal with." I smiled.

"Good. Now I have a few calls I need to make. Hopefully Fuwa's conscious." Yuki stared at me confused.

"Fuwa hates the beagle as much as I do, Yuki. I hate to ally myself with him but if it's against that beagle I don't mind one bit." He shivered.

"What the hell did that guy do?"

"Yuki, I thought I told you no swearing!" Kyoko yelled from the guest room. I chuckled. It came out dark and angry. Yuki gulped.

"I often refer to him as Stalker-kun. You can imagine why." Yuki growled.

"If you ever find the bastard let me know. I want to get my fair share of swings in." I smiled.

"I will, son. I will." Kyoko came out from the guest room.

"Are you two talking about that beagle?"

"Yes, we were discussing if Yuki could beat him up."

"No. I don't want him to even meet that bastard." I frowned confused.

"Why?"

"Our demons, Kuon. He can see them and touch them. We feel what the demons feel. It he kills one by physical means we'll die along with it." Yuki grumbled but didn't argue. He valued his life, unlike me at that age. "Now, why were you talking about him?" Kyoko asked.

"Yuki mention he'd only seen you punch someone twice include me, so I asked him who the other one was." She shrugged.

"I found I didn't need to resort to violence to deal with unwelcome people."

"Mio?"

"Yes, she came in handy quite often." I smiled.

"So it looks like I did protect you indirectly." Kyoko smiled softly. She bent down and kissed my sore jaw lightly.

"I'm not going to apologize because you don't deserve one. But I do still love you." I smiled and kissed her earning me a light slap. "That's for kissing me without permission."

"I have to get permission know?" I whined. Yuki laughed while Kyoko just rolled her eyes.

"If you want to get me annoyed, Kuon. You're going to have to try a lot better than that. Remember I've had to deal with one bleach blonde and he can be annoying as hell." I smirked.

"Kyoko, didn't we have an agreement to stop swearing?" She scowled at me.

"If you keep this up you won't be punched, Kuon, you'll be kicked." I nodded, resisting the urge to salute her, knowing she would carry out that threat.


	19. Chapter 18

_**Kyoko's POV**_

With the case file Kamiji-san had prepared under one arm and my purse slung over my shoulder, I walked into the Tokyo police station, and walked right up to the counter. The policewoman smiled at me.

"How may I help you, Miss?" She asked.

"I would like to file charges for kidnapping against a Himeji Saena." The officer stared at me and laughed.

"Miss, if you're here to play a prank it's a waste of your—" She stopped seeing my glare. I set the file on the counter.

"I had my lawyer put together a file. It has a copy of my daughter's birth certificate, her medical records, a copy of my ID and my birth certificate. It also has pictures of my daughter, and three copies of fake death certificates. Two are mine and one is a fake identity. My personal information and my lawyer's number are on the inside of the file. Also tell Himeji-san I have multiple copies of that file." The officer stared at my back as I walked out of the station to Kuon's car.

"So did Mio convince them?" I shook my head.

"For some reason I couldn't slip into Mio today. But I did leave the file. Kamiji-san should be getting a call sometime this week." Kuon gave me a quick peck on the cheek.

"We're getting closer to getting Aoi back and if that woman tries to do anything to Aoi people will become suspicious." I nodded.

"Let's hope it's that easy."

_**Normal POV**_

At a mansion located in Kyoto, Himeji Saena sat behind a desk doing paper work. The phone beside her rang and she picks it up.

"Himeji Saene."

"Himeji-sama, a small problem has aroused." She paused.

"What is this 'problem'?"

"A woman came into the Tokyo police station and filed kidnapping charges against you." Saena went back to her paper work.

"So? The file was disposed of, right?"

"No, Himeji-sama, it wasn't. It was delivered to the chief. He's going to bring you in and try to get a confession." The pen fell out of her hand.

"HOW CAN THOSE CHARGES STAND?! There is no evidence I kidnapped anyone!"

"This woman brought in evidence, Himeji-sama. She had Aoi-sama's French birth certificate proving she was brought overseas as a child and that the woman was her mother. The chief is also going to try to pin you with forgery as well for three fake death certificates." Saene hissed.

"That whore has made a move! Koshina, I leave you with the responsibility to dispose of the problem's core. Leave no evidence that connects anything to me, and if you don't think you can do the job call me immediately."

"Yes, Himeji-sama." Koshina replied as Saene hung up.

_**Kuon's POV**_

I glanced in the rear view mirror for the tenth time since we'd left the police station. We'd been followed by a black sedan for blocks.

"You noticed too, Kuon?" Kyoko asked glancing in the side mirror closet to her.

"Yeah. Do you think it's one of that woman's goons?" She nodded.

"This vacation is turning out to be anything but a vacation." She said with a sigh. I shrugged.

"Once we get Aoi back things will get better." Kyoko turned to look at me. Her eyes looked frighteningly similar to how they were when she was small.

"What if we don't get her back, Kuon? What if my mother wins? What then?" I took one hand off the steering wheel and grasped one of her fist.

"That's not going to happen, Kyoko. And if it does that woman will have a new problem on her plate." I hesitated, glancing at her. "She'll have to find a way to dispose of Aoi without it being traced back to her." Kyoko didn't bother to hide her fear. She shook uncontrollably, hot tears running down her cheeks, no doubt imaging scenes of Aoi's demise. I squeezed her hand, watching the road in front of me.

"That woman wouldn't harm Aoi, unless she has too. Her husband needs an heir and if Aoi suddenly disappears he's going to be awful mad." A tiny smile graced Kyoko's lips.

"You always know how to make me feel better." She uncurled her fist and held my hand. Her fear wasn't gone yet but she had calmed down.

"Now, how are we going to explain the multiple people stalking you to Yuki?" I asked her. Kyoko smiled a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"We tell him exactly what they are stalkers." I thought about it for a moment.

"That's a good idea. Just make sure to include the 'don't kill them' part." Her smiled grew.

"I might. It depends on how annoyed I am by the time we get back. Oh, and drop me off at LME." I cocked an eyebrow.

"Why?" Kyoko's smiled turned Mio-like.

"My mother wants a fight and I'm going to give it to her, that means even if I have to hide." I chuckled.

"You're a demon."

"Thank you for the compliment." I smiled. Kyoko was starting to stand on her own again, and she was going to need to if she wanted to face that woman.

_**Kyoko's POV**_

Kuon dropped me off at LME.

"Now, go home. I'll call you when I'm done." He stared at me.

"You're joking?" I rolled my eyes.

"Kuon, I know how to take care of myself in more ways than one. Trust me, I can handle it."

"Fine." He agreed grudgingly. I smiled softly, and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Don't worry, you will get a call from me. And make sure Yuki stays out of trouble."

"Yes, Ma'm." He said with a mock salute. I scowled at him as he drove away. I glanced around and saw the black sedan that had been following us parked on the street. I smiled, strolling inside LME. I walked up to the receptionist. She looked up and smiled at me politely.

"Can I help you, Miss?" I nodded.

"Yes, I'm here to see the president. Is he in his office? Or is he out in one of his floats or his stretch limo?" The receptionist stared at me. Very few people who weren't connected to LME knew about the president's eccentric nature.

"First can you tell me your name? I just want to make sure the president isn't surprised when you go up."

"Kyoko. Mogami Kyoko." The receptionist laughed.

"I would believe that if you were about 20 years older." I growled and opened my purse. The receptionist watched me curiously as I searched for my ID. I found it and showed it to the receptionists.

"Happy?" I asked annoyed that I had to pull out my ID. She stared at the ID and back up at me.

"Were the hell did you get this? It looks real." My eyebrow twitched.

"It is real, and I bet the president won't be too happy when he finds out you accused me of having a fake ID." She laughed.

"Mogami Kyoko has been dead for 15 years."

"I disappeared I didn't die." The receptionist raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, so where did you disappear?"

"In Paris." She frowned.

"Why did you disappear?"

"Is it important?" Her eyebrow twitched.

"It's obvious you're not Mogami Kyoko so, Miss, please leave." I smiled coldly at her.

"Maybe I should just go up on my own." I said heading in the direction of the president's office.

"Security!" The receptionist yelled behind me. I recognized the four men who surrounded me. I smiled.

"Hello, Ichi-san, Mijou-san, Kyo-san, Ryu-san." I greeted them. It took them a moment to recognize me.

"Kyoko-san?!" I giggled.

"It's been a while. I'm surprised you four aren't retired." They shrugged.

"LME security doesn't have much work. With the rumors about Hizuri-san floating around no one dares go against anyone of LME." I rolled my eyes.

"I know. They make him out to be such a bad person." Ichi-san and Kyo-san exchanged glances.

"He is a bad person, Kyoko-san." I frowned.

"When he was still Tsuruga Ren was he a bad person?"

"That has nothing to do with Hizuri-san being a ba— " Kyo-san started

"Yes, it does, Kyo-san. Before everyone knew he was Hizuri Kuon he was the perfect gentleman." Ichi-san sighed.

"Kyoko-san, we know you really respect him but he's not exactly who he acted like." I glared at him.

"You sound exactly like a bitch I know." They stared at me. I rolled my eyes. They never would've thought I even knew what the word meant let alone say it. I walked past them and continued to the president's office, stomping all the way. The president looked up from his desk as I entered. A broad smile spread across his face.

"Kyoko-chan, what a pleasant surprise!" I smiled.

"Hello, President, I came to request a small favor." The president raised an eyebrow, my smile turning quite Mio-like.

"And what kind of favor would that be?"

_**Kuon's POV**_

I'd just slipped off my shoes when my phone rang. I checked the caller ID and answered.

"Yes, President?"

"Kuon, are you aware of what your future wife is doing?"

"If you're referring to Kyoko, then no, I have no clue what's she doing." The president paused.

"Would you miss Kyoko's long black hair?" My brows knitted together in confusion.

"Not practically, why?"

"Because one of my stylists just sheared off a good 13 centimeters of Kyoko's hair, she's already begun the dyeing."

"Let me guess after her hair is dyed she's going to change into a Love Me section uniform."

"So you have an idea of what's she's doing and why?"

"Yes, and while she's there can you watch out for any suspicious activity towards her? I need you to do that favor I asked the other day." I could hear the president's breath catch.

"Someone actually wants sweet little Kyoko-chan _dead_?!" He hissed through the phone. I was shocked to hear so much venom in his voice. "Kuon, who is it?" I shivered.

"Her mother." The president paused.

"Name."

"Himeji Saena." I heard the phone slip out of the president's hands and crash to the floor. The line went dead.

"President? President, are you there?" I asked into the phone. The president knew Kyoko's mother, and from the looks of it not in a good way.

_**Normal POV**_

Lory was furious. That damn devil woman was aiming at one of his children again, but this time if she hit the target the consequences would be deadly. Even if he died in the process he would protect Kyoko from that woman's claws.


	20. Chapter 19

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I was surprised to hear the president's cell phone crash into the floor. Suzune-san looked up from her magazine. She was waiting until the dyeing process had finish on my hair. Even though I couldn't see the president I knew he was furious. My demons began popping out squealing about a "wonderfully" ominous aura. I gulped.

"P-President?" I asked a little scared. The president _never _got mad. He popped out from around the corner a huge grin plastered on his face. I nearly scrambled out of my chair at its dark brilliance. I visibly shook.

"I was just a little clumsy and dropped my cell phone. Nothing to worry about, Kyoko-chan." I nodded weakly trying not to cower in my chair. "So how goes the hair dyeing?" My demons began calming down.

"It's almost done." The president's anger slowly disappeared.

"Are you dyeing it the same color that you had when you enter LME?" I shook my head smiling slightly.

"I decided to try a new color." Suzune-san rolled her eyes and glanced at the clock.

"Okay, Kyoko-chan, it should be done. Why don't we show the president your new hair?" She asked taking out the foil. My hair was no longer the shade of darkness but the shade of light. Blonde locks tumbled down my back stopping at my shoulder blades. Suzune-san smiled triumphantly. "With a little make up and blue contacts you'd look exactly like the angel from Fuwa's Sho's 'Prisoner' PV." I giggled.

"Well, I did have on a blonde wig at the time." Her eyes grew wide with surprise.

"That was you? But that would mean you're 35!" I laughed.

"Yes, I am 35. I left the acting world four years in and have been living in Paris for the last fifteen years with my son." Suzune-san whistled.

"What did you do in Paris?"

"For the first 10 years I was an apprentice to a restaurant owner. When he passed away I became the new owner." She smiled.

"Looks like you've been living the good life for years. Bet it was the same in your childhood." My heart twisted with bitterness and resentment.

"Nothing of the sort, Suzune-san. Nothing like it at all." The president placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Kyoko-chan, I was talking to Kuon earlier. He told me about the current circumstances with Himeji-san." I smiled wistfully.

"Ironic, isn't it? I crave my okaa-san's attention as a child, but when I received it I didn't want it." He shook his head.

"A woman who doesn't acknowledge her child as her own isn't an okaa-san at all." I sighed.

"I just hope Aoi's okay." The president's grip tightened slightly.

"As long as she has worth to your okaa-san, Aoi-chan will be fine." I looked up at him.

"You sound as if you know my okaa-san." He shrugged.

"Kuon described her pretty well and if she's in for money and power if something has worth she's going to keep it. That includes Aoi." I smiled grimly.

"I hope so. Is the Love Me section uniform ready?" I asked. The president smiled and held up a neon pick uniform with the Love me section logo on the back and left breast.

"So once you get Aoi back you're coming back to LME, right?" He asked hope clear in his eyes.

"Maybe, a lot of it depends on how Kuon acts." I said taking the uniform and pushing the president out the door. Once the door was closed I changed out of my clothes and into the uniform. Suzune-san finished packing up her equipment and looked me over.

"I can't believe you're putting that on voluntarily. All the Love Me section members whine and groan about having to wear it, especially the guys." I couldn't help but smile.

"The president put guys in the Love Me section and made them wear this uniform?" After saying it out loud the idea became even more ludicrous.

"Well, he changed the color to a duller shade of pink but it's still quite bright." I frowned.

"He's putting me in charge of the Love Me section isn't he?" Suzune-san nodded.

"The president really missed you. You're like a second granddaughter to him." I sighed, smiling a little.

"Well, from now on I'll be known as Hongo Aiko here, so it doesn't matter too much."

_**Kuon's POV**_

I stood in the doorway staring at Maria.

"Why are you here, Maria?" She smiled sweetly at me. She or her grandfather was planning something.

"Ojii-sama told me to come and pick up Yuki-kun's and Onee-sama's luggage." I sighed.

"I doubt either of them exactly want to stay at the president's mansion." Yuki came up behind me.

"I wouldn't mind if it means I actually get a bed." Maria gave me a questioning glance.

"Kyoko's sleeping in the guest bedroom." She sighed.

"Sometimes I wonder if Kuu Oji-sama will have any grandchildren." Yuki laughed.

"Well, he already has one."

"He has three." I corrected him. Maria and Yuki stared at me.

"What? My little sister has a set of twins."

"You have a sister?" I nodded.

"Yeah, she's four years younger than I am." Maria smiled slyly.

"So that's one of the reasons you could resist Onee-sama." I scowled at her.

"You make is sound like I'm a bad guy." Maria smiled.

"That because you were in a way. It took you four years to ask her out then five months later she disappears in Paris only resurface 15 years later with an 'adoptive' son." I chuckled.

"You figure it out?" She snorted.

"It wasn't that hard. Onee-sama was trying to hide the similarities between you two so that sort of tip me off."

"So what is the president up to?" Maria smiled.

"Ojii-sama is trying to get her back into LME by putting her in as the supervisor of the Love Me section." I rolled my eyes.

"I'm the one who got her to come and I'm the one who gets to see her the least." They shrugged.

"Maybe she doesn't like you." I rolled my eyes.

"If she didn't like me she wouldn't have agreed to stay in my apartment for the whole summer." Maria smiled slyly.

"So Ojii-sama gets her for the whole summer. I wonder if she's going to take a liking to some of the new Love Me section members." I chuckled.

"Maria, Kyoko has a 15 year old son. I don't think a normal man would try to get too close to her."

"Especially if she has you glaring at them while her back is turned." I winced.

"Fuwa deserved every bit of my hostility." She shrugged.

"I wouldn't know. No one ever told me exactly what Fuwa-san did." Yuki chuckled.

"Why don't I fill in the details? Would you like the in chronological or alphabetical order?" I hit him on the back of the head.

"Wait until he's out of the hospital, Yuki. I don't want to freak out the hospital staff when he suddenly breaks something or dies." Maria pouted.

"It can't be that bad. I mean I heard a little of the stalker story but I didn't go out and hunt the damn bastard down." I stared at Maria. She never swore.

"Wait, you mean the beagle never paid for what he did?!" Yuki asked me shaking with rage.

"Fuwa gave him a light beating and Kyoko gave him that punch but yes, he never paid for what he did. Kyoko wouldn't allow me to give him a more proper beating."

"You mean like the one we gave Fuwa?" Yuki asked smiling at the idea of that beagle in a similar state to Fuwa. I smiled at him.

"An even better beating than that." Maria shivered.

"I see the resemblance in your personalities." We grinned.

"Everyone says that."

_**Kyoko's POV**_

"All members of Love Me section, please report to the president's office immediately," crackled over the PA system. I sighed.

"Do I have to be the supervisor of the Love Me section? I would prefer being a member of Love Me section again." The president shrugged.

"You know how Love Me section works and I think it will be interesting to see how they react to 'Hongo Aiko'." I rolled my eyes.

"I'm using the name so I can have a fresh start, President. Not because I'm going to have a personality that is a mixture of Hongo Mio and Aiko Mamori." He smiled.

"I know, but who knows? Maybe Hong Aiko will become another role for you." I rolled my eyes.

"I highly doubt that, President. And I can't be here all the time. I mean who knows what kind of trouble Yuki and Kuon will get into if I'm not there?" The president smiled.

"Sounds to me like you've already consider Kuon your only love interest." I blushed.

"W-w-well, he is Yuki and Aoi's otou-san and I do love him." I muttered the last part as softly as I could but the president heard it loud and clear. A wide grinned spread across his face as the door to his office opened. I looked over to see a group of two men and three women standing right inside the door wearing pink Love Me section uniforms. They were a darker pink then the uniform I was wearing I frowned.

"I can't believe you darkened the pink. That was part of the Love Me section charm." I add a little bit whiny. The new Love Me section members stared at me hands shielding their eyes.

"President, why did you call us here? And why is that woman wearing an outrageously bright pink Love Me uniform?" One of the men asked. He was a head taller than I was with black hair and cold black eyes. The president's smile wavered for a moment.

"Everyone, meet your new supervisor, Hongo Aiko. She just returned from France so you all haven't met her before. Aiko-chan, this is Hino Yamoto, Yuuri Mamori, Michi Yume, Juuro Kikyo, and Yato Jun." Hino-kun was the black hair man. Yuuri-chan was a tall brown haired woman with unusual hazel eyes. Michi-chan was a petite black hair woman with chilling brown eyes. Juuro-chan was a beautiful blonde woman with the coldest black eyes I'd ever seen. Yato-kun was a tall man with black hair and icy blue eyes. I bowed.

"I'm Hongo Aiko, it's a pleasure to meet you all. For today on I will be your supervisor." They snorted.

"President, you expect us to listen to a girl at least five years younger than us?" I rolled my eyes.

"I am not a teenager mind you. I am 35. If you don't believe me I would gladly haul my son in and have him tell you how old I am." I added a little annoyed. They stared at me.

"There's no way you're 35. Even a professional make-up artist can't make you look that young." Michi-chan said bluntly.

"Let's just say it wasn't a professional make-up artist who did it."

"Plastic surgery, huh? I heard it made you look younger." Yato-kun said with a smirk. I could feel my eyebrow twitching.

"President, do you see why I would have preferred to be in Love Me section again? It's pretty bad when Hime-chan accepts I'm 35 and five adults don't." The president nodded.

"But you must remember who her okaa-san is." I nodded and sighed.

"Well, looks like I'm going to have to prove myself once again. So what does everybody want to do?" I asked the Love Me section member. They rolled their eyes.

"Actor." Hino-kun said coldly.

"Actress." Juuro-chan said impassively.

"Same." The remaining three said. I smiled.

"Well, that's my field of expertise so if you have any problems you can always talk to me." They raised their eyebrows in unison. I sighed.

"Looks like Yuki's going to be hanging around LME for the next few months."

* * *

Okay, I have two versions of chapter 20 and continued with both until I ended one of them. The first version continues for three chapters after chapter 20. The second one isn't finished yet but is longer. So I want all my readers to vote _once_ for either chapter 20a (the shorter one) or chapter 20b (the longer one). If anyone votes for both or more than once I will not count either vote. Two days after this chapter is posted, I will tally up the votes and whichever chapter receives the most votes with be the chapter I post and I will continue with that version of Wine Jelly. To vote you can review or PM me.

Hope you enjoy~ Mangawolfgirl96


	21. Chapter 20

Here's Chapter 20! I will not tell you which version of chapter 20 it is so you'll have to wait and see. Sometime I'll post the other version of chapter 20 and the chapter following it. But for now please enjoy and have a merry Christmas. ~ Mangawolfgirl96

_**Kuon's POV**_

I sighed walking into LME. I had given up trying to persuade Maria to leave Yuki's and Kyoko's luggage at my apartment. A few days later, the president called me back and asked me to come down. As usual just walking into the building gained me gazes, some admiring others wary. As I waited for the secretary someone ran into me. I looked down to see a petite black hair woman with icy brown eyes wearing a Love Me section uniform.

"Sorry." She mumbled looking up. As she recognized me she practically flew back 10 feet. She was about to sprint off on her task when someone called out to her.

"Michi-chan, where are you going? I was just about to start the acting seminar." A petite blonde with amber eyes said coming up behind her. I felt my eyes grow in bewilderment as I took in Kyoko's new appearance. The woman named Michi-chan shot me a quick glance which did not escape Kyoko's attention. She glanced at me and smiled.

"Hey, Kuon. What are you doing here?" She glanced around. "And where's Yuki? I thought he was going to spend the day with you."

"Maria has him confined to the president's mansion." Kyoko sighed.

"They're getting too overprotect." Michi-san looked at Kyoko amazed.

"Hongo-san, you do know about Hizuri-san's reputation, right?" She asked Kyoko slowly.

"Of course I do, and I can't believe they make him out to be such a bad guy. He's actually quite nice if you're not Fuwa Sho or Reino of Vie Ghoul." Michi-san glanced at me unsure.

"If you say so, Hongo-san." I raised a questioning brow at Kyoko. She waved her hand in dismissal.

"Oh, look who we have here. The demon king himself cornering a member of Love Me section and the new Love Me section supervisor." A man said behind me. I turned to see Yato Jun, the biggest thorn in my side since Fuwa and that beagle. Yato-kun spread vicious rumors about me tormenting Love Me section member for no reason, and shacking up various woman. I smiled at him.

"Hello, Yato-kun."

"Kuon." Kyoko said sternly behind me. _**Damn, forgot she was here.**_ I let the smile drop but kept my face impassive. "Yato-kun, what did you do to make Kuon mad?" She asked him sounding exactly like the mother she was. The bastard had the nerve to look innocent.

"I have no idea, Aiko-chan. And how come you address him as Kuon and not Hizuri-san?"

"That's because I've known him for…" She trialed off trying to remember how many years it had been.

"Twenty-nine years, Aiko. Remember, you were six when we first met?" Kyoko bopped herself on the forehead.

"That's right." The Love Me section members stared at us.

"You two knew each other before you became actors?" Yato-kun asked in disbelief. I nodded.

"Yeah, old friends. I hardly recognized her, though, when she first started working at LME as part of Love Me section."

"You're kidding? She was part of Love Me section? I thought the president was lying."

"Not at all. In fact Aiko was the very first Love Me section member." Yato-kun glanced at Kyoko and went into a laughing fit. I couldn't contain a small smile seeing little Kyoko demons slither towards an unsuspecting Yato-kun. I don't remember when but a few months before we started dating I began to see Kyoko's little demon minions. At first I thought I was going insane but a quick chat with Kyoko had cleared it all up.

Yato-kun stopped laughing as little Kyoko demons began wrapping around his neck. He clawed at the demons but to no avail. After a few seconds, Kyoko called back her little demons satisfied with their work. Yato-kun gasped for air, bewildered.

"What the heck was that?" I smiled and leaned down so I was next to his ear.

"That was my girlfriend, Hongo Aiko." I whispered and straightened to see his face. I was pleased with Yato-kun's oh-shit expression.

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I was about to start lecturing Kuon about scaring people when someone put a hand around me waist. I ripped the hand off my waist and twisted it.

"Ow, ow, ow ow!" Yuki said trying to get his hand out of my grip. I immediately let go of his hand.

"Yuki, how many times have I told you not to sneak up on me? Remember the last time you did that? I almost broke your wrist!" I scolded him, carefully inspecting his wrist. Yuki shrugged.

"I'm fine. I mean, come on, I'm feared in half of France I can handle a broken bone every once in a while." I scowled at him.

"That's it. I'm taking Moko-san shopping tomorrow and I'm going to convince her to leave Hime- chan with you." Yuki's cheeks started to turn pink.

"Hey, you promised not to play cupid." I smirked.

"Yeah, but this is punishment for not listening to your okaa-san." He growled.

"I don't see how it's a valid punishment." I shrugged.

"It's not really, but it's a win-win for me." Yuki cocked an eyebrow. I smiled impishly.

"If I help out I can get grandkids sooner!" He froze. Kuon was leaning against the receptionist's desk, with a hand over his mouth and his leg shaking wildly. Even the members of Love Me section couldn't keep smiles of their faces.

"Kaa-san, I don't want to even think about that yet." Yuki said slowly, his cheeks a crimson color. I sighed.

"Yuki, I'm not getting any younger, and you're my only hope for grandchildren right now. So I'm going to make you think about it." That was the last straw. Kuon and the entire Love Me section were clutching their stomachs they were laughing so hard while Yuki became a darker crimson. After recovering from his laughing fit Kuon put a hand on my shoulder.

"Aiko, for now just leave Yuki alone. He's not ready for those kinds of things yet." I pouted.

"But I want grandkids before I'm 60!" Kuon chuckled.

"Aiko, remember who Hime's parents are. Would her otou-san appreciate you playing cupid between them?" I grumbled.

"Hiou-kun would get mad at me, probably. But who knows? He might actually prefer Yuki to another boy, because if Yuki try's something too soon Hiou-kun knows exactly who to call so that Yuki gets straightened out." Kuon snickered glancing at Yuki who was scowling at me.

"Kaa-san, I will not even consider asking her out until she's in high school. For God's sake, she's only in seventh grade!" I shrugged.

"It's only a three years difference. I mean there's only four years between your otou-san and I. Look at Moko-san and Hiou-kun. There's five years between them, and Hiou-kun started, er, courting Moko-san when he was 14." Yuki rolled his eyes.

"Kaa-san, Moko ba-chan is older than Hiou ji-chan, and Otou-san didn't even start courting you until you were 20. I'm 15 almost 16 and Hime-san is 12." I sighed.

"Fine, I'll wait two years. But that's it, Yuki." I warned him. He rolled his eyes.

"I was planning on either middle school graduation or Hime-san's first day of high school." I smiled.

"Those are both good options and if you need any help come to me, Moko-san, or the president." Yuki nodded.

"Okay, now it's time to get back to that acting seminar. Oh, that reminds me." I turned to Kuon smiling mischievously.

"No." I pouted.

"But you don't know what I'm going to ask." He cocked an eyebrow.

"So you don't want to play out a scene where Mio's terrorizing Katsuki?" I grumbled.

"Fine, I'll find someone else to play Katsuki. But it's no fun if they know what's going to happen to them." The two men in Love Me section started creeping away.

"Where do you think you two are going?" I asked them. They froze and turned around.

"We just remember we have some Love Me work that's all." I sighed.

"Kuon and I were joking. I was planning on doing a scene between Mizuki and Katsuki not Mio and Katsuki. I doubt I could even portray the old Mio." I added a little sad. The Love Me section raised their eyebrows.

"Don't ask." I said heading back to the practice room.

_**Kuon's POV**_

I wanted to follow Kyoko and Yuki, but I had to meet with the president. I sighed and headed to the president's office. He was waiting for me dress in one of his absurd outfits. Seems he was going for a Knights of the Round Table theme.

"Ah, Kuon, what took you so long?"

"I ran into Love Me section. So Kyoko's working under a new stage name?" The president nodded.

"So how was Yato-kun? The same old thorn or a little better behaved?" I smirked.

"You put Kyoko there so she was part of Love Me section again and so she could straighten out Yato Jun." The president smiled.

"And it seems to be working wonderfully. Now, I called you in to have a little chat about Himeji Saena. Do you have any idea how dangerous this woman is?" The president's words were ice, sharp and cold.

"She married into money and politically power. She's got connections but this case is rock solid." The president's expression darkened.

"Yes, but she has other connections as well. Saene has connections with several mafias all over the world. She has her hands in drug rings, illegal smuggling, arms dealing and God knows what else. Kuon, this woman could murder you two without any traces back to herself. I recommend you stay out of the limelight before the trial. Try to stay at home, or a different secure area. Kyoko and Yuki are safe at my mansion for the time but if there's any sign of trouble I'm putting her on the next plane back to Paris." I nodded.

"That would be a good choice. Ironically, Kyoko has a mafia connection as well. The head of the French Mafia is a fan of Japanese dramas. Namely _Dark Moon_ and _Box 'R'_." The president smiled.

"I'm glad to see the connection is very much legal."

"But she also has enemies in Paris. Quite a few of her former master's apprentices don't think Kyoko should be in charge of Le Goût du Vin." The president frowned.

"That reminds me. I got a phone call from the president of Akatoki this morning." I did my best not to wince.

"Fuwa Sho is in the ICU and will be for another two months. His manager is certain you were the one who beat him up." I tried to look offend.

"I did no such thing, President." It wasn't a lie but it wasn't the truth either. I had given him a few good hits but Yuki got his fair share of hits in too. He sighed.

"I know you and Fuwa-kun were never on good terms, but you didn't need to take it to a physical level." I shrugged.

"I wasn't the first one to throw a punch." The president raised a brow.

"Fuwa started the fight?"

"In a way, yes. But it was Yuki who threw the first punch."

"And he had no previous quarrel with Fuwa-kun." The president massaged his temples. "What did he do?"

"He claimed Kyoko, and was being an ass." He looked up at me.

"You really hate that boy, don't you? What the hell did he do?" I smiled.

"He broke Kyoko heart, and after he'd broken it he found out just how much she meant to him and tried to steal her from me." The president smiled a very chilling smile. It was scarier than Mio's smiled and mine combined. _**Note to self: never ever get on the president's bad side.**_


	22. Chapter 21

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I scowled at Hino-kun and Yato-kun.

"Are you two even men? It's maybe five minutes. I know you two don't like me but one of you can at least act for that long." They glanced at each other.

"It's just neither of us know how to portray that kind of emotion." I massaged my temples.

"That's one of the reasons I invited Kuon to do it. And you know what? Kuon had problems portraying Katsuki but he got through them and made an even better Katsuki than Ot—I mean Kuu-san." Yato-kun raised a brow

"Were you about to say 'Otou-san', Aiko-chan." I scowled at him.

"I told you if you want to use my given name call me Aiko-san. And yes I was going to say Otou-san, but if I say that you wouldn't know who I was talking about." Yato-kun smirked.

"Why would you call him Otou-san?" I rolled my eyes.

"When Kuu-san stayed in Japan while I was in Love Me section I was the one who was I was in charge of his meals. I was struggling with my acting so he gave me an acting exercise. I played the role of his son for a few hours and we formed a bound. You could say he and his wife, Julie-san adopted me into their family." Yato-kun frowned.

"So it's just a coincidence that you and Hizuri-san met before that?" I nodded.

"Yes, know can we get back to the seminar? Since you two are wimps I'll do a scene between Mizuki and Mio. Okay, who wants to be Mio?" I asked the woman. They just stared at me. "Okay, who wants to be Mizuki?" Michi-chan raised her hand. I smiled

"Okay, Michi-chan. You can be Mizuki. I'll play Mio. If you get too scared we can stop whenever you want." She snorted. I shrugged. "I'm just warning you. My Mio isn't what you see on TV." Michi-chan stepped on stage and began to get into character. I closed my eyes and let Mio's spirit take over.

"Action." Yato-kun said. When my eyes opened I was no longer Mogami Kyoko or Hongo Aiko. I was Mio.

"Coming to beg me for money, Mizuki?" I asked smirking. She sighed.

"Mio, you're my cousin. I want you to be in my wedding." Michi-chan said bluntly. I snorted.

"So you're trying to be friendly so you can earn my trust and use me in the future." I said a hollow brittle sound escaping my lips. Michi-san flinched.

"That's not what I'm trying to do, Mio." She said shakily, a little later than she was supposed to. "I want to connect with you as family. To become the sister Misao onee-sama never was."

"Do you think I would actually believe such a thing, Mizuki? Trust and faith are fragile things that easily crumble and are replaced by malice and bitterness." I said letting bitterness and hatred seep into my already chilling tone. Michi-chan shivered noticeably.

"See? Everyone fears me and that is the way I want to keep it." I said smirking my devilish smirk. She froze.

"Michi-chan, you forgot your lines." I said, Mio's spirit leaving me. "I told you that my Mio wasn't like the one on TV. She's much more cruel and malicious." I rested my hands on her shoulders. "Are you okay? Or do you need to sit down?"

"I think I'll sit down." I helped Michi-chan off stage.

"So know you guys know why Kuon didn't want to help if I was doing a scene with Mio." Hino-kun became thoughtful.

"I wonder what would happen if you did that scene with the actress who played Mizuki in _Dark Moon_." I smiled.

"She forgot the same lines as Michi-chan. But she hadn't act with me for 15 years so it was kind of predictable." They all stared at me. "What? Was I speaking French? Because sometimes I do that out of habit." They shook their heads.

"No, but just who all have you acted with?" I shrugged.

"I don't keep track anymore. I remember a few who helped me out early on but otherwise I couldn't tell you off the top of my head." They just stared at me.

"Why didn't you join the Acting section?" Yato-kun asked. I smiled.

"Because I wanted to actually graduate from Love Me section. I'd expect the president to put me back in Love Me section, but he put me in charge of it." Yuuri-chan whistled.

"The president really likes you that's for sure. He was giddy when we were in his office." I smiled.

"He's just happy I'm back. Maria was probably a little terror while I was gone." Hino-kun raised an eyebrow.

"You know, Maria-san?" I nodded.

"Yep, Maria was nine when I came to LME. She was a little terror back then. She was full of angst and distrust, a very troubled little girl. But after she got a female role model she shaped up. I remember making voodoo dolls with her, and putting curse on people. Those were good times." I was too lost in my memories to notice the Love Me section staring at me.

"Um, Aiko-san?" Yato-kun asked hesitantly. I snapped out of my memories.

"Yes, Yato-kun?" He started taking cover behind Hino-kun.

"What caused you to enter Love Me section?" I smiled.

"Well, I originally came to Tokyo following my childhood, Shotaru. He wanted to become a singer and he did. After becoming famous he only saw me as a maid. I didn't know that until I overheard him with his manager talking. I got mad vowed my revenge and came to LME to get a job so I could rise up in the entertainment world and crush him. I failed the audition but the president formed the Love Me section and gave me a job. The other reason I was in Love Me section was my okaa-san. Not Julie-san but my real okaa-san. She left me with Shotaru's parents when I was 12 and disappeared. I didn't see her until she was getting married when I was 22." They whistled.

"Most people wouldn't have been able to go through all that and come out alive." I smiled softly.

"I found a boy who had more darkness in his heart than I did. I didn't realize it at the time though. At the time I was blind infatuated with Shotaru to see I actually feel in love with the boy. I cried so much when he had to leave even though I only knew him for two weeks. He gave me a stone and said that it would absorb all my sadness."

"And who was this boy?" Yuuri-chan asked.

"Se-cr-et." I said putting a finger to my lips.

"And is 'Shotaru' Fuwa Sho?" I shrugged.

"All I'll say about Shotaru is that he's in a hospital in France in the ICU." Hino-kun raised an eyebrow.

"Someone beat him up?" I smiled.

"The best street fighter in Paris and his otou-san." They frowned, obvious not knowing who the best street fighter in Paris was let alone his otou-san.

_**Kuon's POV**_

"President, I may be out of line for asking this, but how do you know Himeji Saena?" The president froze his scary smile still in place.

"Kuon, is it of any importance for you to know?" He asked me.

"If it could lead her to Kyoko and Yuki, yes. You know something about her that no else knows and I want to know what it is." He sighed.

"Mogami Ryuuya was a part of LME years ago. He went into acting after he graduated high school and became very famous. Then he met Saena. He was convinced she was the one. They got married a year later. I was the best man. At her suggestion he quit acting and starting working as a business man. We stayed in contact. They were married for three years when Kyoko-chan was born. Ryuuya was ecstatic to have a child where Saena was disgusted that she gave birth to a daughter. After that they began getting into fights constantly. Shortly after Kyoko-chan turned one, Saena filed for a divorce. A few months after Saena filed for divorce Kyoko-chan supposedly caught some sort of disease and died." I whistled.

"No wonder you don't like her. So what happened to Kyoko's otou-san?" The president shrugged.

"Two years after the divorce Ryuuya moved to the States and we lost contact. I heard he started up an entertainment agency, but all I've heard are rumors. If it helps I was Kyoko-chan's godfather." I smiled.

"No wonder you're so protective of her." He shrugged.

"She's more like a second granddaughter than a goddaughter now. Maria doesn't worship her like she used to but she still holds Kyoko-chan in a very high and respected position." I nodded.

"Does Maria know about what's going on?" The president stared at me.

"Good Lord, no. If Maria knew she'd burst into the Himeji mansion and try to rescue Aoi which they'll pass off as an attempted kidnapping.

"That does sound like a possible scenario." He snorted.

"That's the only scenario. Now nothing I told you leaves this room. I'll tell Kyoko-chan what she needs to know when she needs to know it." I nodded. If Kyoko knew all this information she might haven gotten on the next flight to the States and that would cause a lot of problems. "Now, why don't we go see how Love Me section is doing." The president said getting up, a wide grin stretched across his lips. He was planning something. I followed him, knowing it was best just to go along with whatever he was planning. We snuck into the back of a practice room where Kyoko was holding the acting seminar.

"You guys, that's enough about Shotaru and the boy who gave me the stone. We need to get back to the seminar." Kyoko said trying to get the Love Me section members to focus. They just ignored her and continued chatting amongst themselves. Kyoko's patience was started to run out by the way her eyebrow was twitching. Yuki was just sitting back and waiting for the fireworks to start. I walked up behind him.

"How long have they been doing this?" I asked him. He glanced up at me and smiled.

"About 10 minutes. Yato-kun asked how she got into Love Me section so she told them and they've been asking questions about you and Fuwa trying to get confirmed identities." I chuckled.

"How far off are they?" Yuki smirked.

"They're off by miles, Tou-san. Your name hasn't been mentioned once." I smiled.

"How long until you think Kyoko will snap?" He smiled.

"I'm betting any minute." I examined Kyoko closely. She was taking deep breath and had her eyes closed.

"I say we have about three, five minutes tops." Yuki's grinned widened.

"How much do you want to bet?" I pulled out my wallet.

"Hmm, 1,000 yen." He pulled out his own wallet and check inside.

"Eighty Euros." I laughed.

"Looks like I need to take you to a currency exchange sometime." He shrugged.

"I don't really need to buy anything so why should I?" I shrugged.

"I know there's a fireworks festival coming up next month. I also heard that if Hime could find a date she was going to go. I think she was going to go with one of her classmates." I glanced at Yuki. His hands were clenched and his teeth were gritted together. I smiled. "I have some free time tomorrow if you want to go to the currency exchange and buy a yukata." He nodded determination burning in his eyes. I chuckled. _**Let the fireworks begin.**_


	23. Chapter 22

Readers,

My updates may start to vary from now on because my brother, being the jackass he is, has started hiding my laptop. Thus causing me to waste my precious writing time searching for my laptop with the only copy of the Wine Jelly files. So I ask you to please forgive me if I cannot update this story on a regular schedule.

_**

* * *

Kyoko's POV**_

The deep breathes weren't helping to calm my nerves. I tell the members of Love Me section a little story and they get off topic discussing the characters. I glanced at the back of the room and saw Kuon and the president. I smiled and waved.

"Okay, guys, let get back to work before the president assigns you more Love Me work." I said clapping my hands together. They laughed and went back to their discussion. I sighed and went over to where Kuon and the president were. "Welcome to my Love Me section acting seminar. As you can see the members of Love Me section are doing a character discussion. In this case their trying to figure out whom the little boy I knew for two weeks is." Kuon chuckled at my sarcasm.

"I doubt they'll figure it out." I nodded.

"Probably not, and I'm going to have to deal with five unfocused adults, joy." The president chuckled.

"They do take a lot of patience. The first eight supervisors quit at this point. Two quit because they wouldn't wear the uniform." I frowned.

"I didn't like the uniform at first but after wearing it for a few years it really grows on you." Yuki laughed. I growled at him, then paused for a moment. I began cackling as a plan formed in my mind. Kuon chuckled at Yuki's horrified expression.

"Don't worry, Yuki. It won't hurt. Anything besides your pride that is." Kuon added smirking. I chuckled.

"You're becoming your father, Kuon." He shrugged.

"I didn't know teasing my son would be this fun. The only thing more fun is teasing you." He added kissing me. I rolled my eyes and kissed him back.

"I let it slide this time, but if you tease me too much, I'll carry out my earlier threat." He smirked and did a mock salute. I rolled my eyes at his childishness. "You really aren't setting a good example for our son." Kuon shrugged.

"I was never told I had too." I scowled at him.

"Maybe I should have just stayed in France." I muttered massaging my temples.

"Oi, don't you even think that." I glared at Kuon.

"If I stayed in France I wouldn't be dealing with the massive headache I have. I just hope the things with my mother are resolved soon." I glanced out the group of Love Me section members and frowned when I saw six heads instead of five.

"Oi, who's over there that's no part of Love Me section?" I called out. All the head turned to look at me.

"It's just Hino's girlfriend." Yato-kun replied. I raised a brow.

"I highly doubt that, Yato-kun. He's a member of Love Me section." The members of Love Me section, excluding Hino-kun, snickered.

"Kyoko was a member of Love Me section but she had a boyfriend." Yuuri-chan pointed out.

"She was about to graduate from Love Me section at that time. From what I hear none of you are even close." They grumbled.

"How do you know she was close to graduating?" Hino-kun asked. I raised an eyebrow.

"The president told you. I was in Love Me section. When I was 20 I went to France. I stayed there for a while then came back to Japan. Since I hadn't graduated from Love Me section I thought the president would but me back into Love Me section, but instead he put me in charge of you brats." Yato-kun glared at me.

"Brats? How the hell are we brats? We're working hard to become actors and you call us brats." I rolled my eyes.

"You five haven't even experience Love Me work. I had to deal with snobby actresses, scrapping gum of mad musicians off the floor, and was a temporary manager from him." I said jerking my thumb at Kuon. "Do you have any idea how stressful it is to take care of a sick Hizuri Kuon?" I asked. They shook their heads. "I thought not. Compared to the old Love Me section you are a bunch of pampered would-be actors. You guys are either too scare or too picky to do certain roles. In the acting world that means two things. You are unprofessional, and a coward." The Love Me members seethed with anger.

"How dare you call us cowards?! You won't even tell us your real name!" Yato-kun yelled. I raised an eyebrow.

"You want my real name? Fine." Kuon grabbed my arm.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked. I nodded.

"Screw my mother and her cronies." Yuki chuckled.

"Go get 'em, Kaa-san." I smiled, and turned back to the Love Me brats.

"My name is Mogami Kyoko. And if any of you start saying I'm lying you can ask the president, Kuon, or my son." Their jaws dropped open.

"Japan's been thinking you've been dead for 13 years and you come back now?!" Yuuri-chan exclaimed.

"You can thank my mother for that. I hadn't exactly planned on coming back. But Kuon here blackmailed me." He scowled at me.

"I did no such thing. All I said is that if you two didn't visit over Yuki's summer break was that I would start skipping all my meals. That's not blackmailing." I growled and kissed him.

"You know I can't let you get sick again." I heard the Yuki and the members of Love Me section make gagging noises. I glared at them.

"No wonder you all are in Love Me section. I doubt half of you have even watched _Emerald Empress_ let alone heard of it." Michi-chan shivered.

"Are you kidding? That was said to be the greatest romantic tragedy of the century. I can't believe people actually acted in that of free will." I scowled at her.

"I was the lead actress in that movie, and it was a great story. It was my last movie as well." They raised their eyebrows.

"Seriously?" I growled at them.

"You know what? You guys aren't worth my time." I said heading towards the Love Me section locker room. Someone grabbed my arm. I turned to face one of the Love Me section members but it wasn't an arm that grabbed me, it was a demon. I looked a ways back and saw a young woman with short brown hair and dull amber eyes glancing at me sheepishly. I smiled gently and walked over to her. "If you wanted to talk to me you could have just asked. Sending your demons out to stop someone isn't usually the best option." She stared at me dumbfound. I giggled. She blushed.

"I didn't really expect you to see them. Sorry, I stopped you." I shrugged.

"It's fine, but what did you want to talk about?" She blushed again.

"I just wanted to say that yeah the members of Love Me section are kind of spoiled, but they are trying. They just aren't motivated. Yamoto-kun and the rest have forgotten why they entered LME." I smiled. She seemed like me at a younger age.

"What's your name?" She smiled.

"Himeji Aoi. But don't tell anyone. My obaa-sama is probably out hunting for me. I don't want her to find me until I get my revenge on that son of a beagle." She added chuckling darkly. I raised a brow.

"By beagle you mean a member of Vie Ghoul?" Surprised, she nodded.

"Yeah, he's the son of the lead singer, Reino." I smiled.

"If you need any help you can find me. I have a vendetta against that beagle." Aoi grinned.

"Will do, Aiko-san. Do you think you can get me into Love Me section?" She asked. I smiled.

"I think we can work something out with the president. Now where are you staying at the moment?" Aoi blushed.

"I'm staying at Yamoto-kun's apartment." I made a mental note to beat him to a bloody pulp later.

"Okay, sometime today we are going to go to his apartment get your stuff and you are going to stay at the president's mansion." She stared at me wide eyed.

"Are you sure? Won't the president be mad that you're going to let me stay in his house?" I laughed.

"Trust me, the president won't be mad. If anything he'll be overjoyed." Aoi cocked an eyebrow.

_**Kuon's POV**_

Why the Love Me section mobbed me instead of the president or Kyoko herself, I have no clue.

"You, Hizuri-san, are going to convince her not to quit." Yuuri-san said jamming a finger in my face.

"Excuse me?" I asked, annoyed by her commanding tone.

"You heard her. We are putting you in charge of getting Kyoko-san to stay the supervisor of Love Me section." I raised an eyebrow at Yato-kun.

"And why would you want her to stay the supervisor of Love Me section? She called you brats, unprofessional and cowards." They scowled at me.

"Kyoko-san doesn't lie or at least tries not to. Yeah, we got mad she pointed out the fact we're brats, unprofessional, and cowards. But thanks to Kyoko-san we're starting to remember why we came to LME. We need her." I sighed.

"You know Yuki would be a much better choice. I'm not exactly on her good side at the moment. But Yuki's always with her. Little guy has a huge mother complex so he knows how to soften her up." I added smirking. Yuki scowled at me.

"I'm not the one in her pants though." I glared at him.

"That's not true." He smirked.

"Oh, that's right. You just want to be." I smiled at him. Yuki smiled back.

"You know what maybe I should get you a one way ticket back to France. Maybe I should also have all your fan girls there to greet you." He flinched. Yato-kun laughed.

"This kid has fan girls?" I smiled at him.

"Why don't you ask him to show you why?" Yuki chuckled darkly.

"It would be my pleasure seeing how he was being so familiar with Kaa-san." He said cracking his knuckles. Yato-kun raised an eyebrow.

"You really want to try me, kid? I was feared all over Tokyo during my high school days." Yuki smirked.

"I'm feared all over France, by guys that is. The girls on the other hand…" He shivered trailing off. Kyoko chose that moment to come back in a young woman trailing behind her.

"I heard something about feared all over France. Is someone trying to start a fight with my son?" She asked sighing. I chuckled.

"Yato-kun was skeptical of Yuki's skills so he was going to show him how good he is." I said smirking. She shook her head.

"Yato-kun, do you even have an internet connection? Because from what I've witnessed even street thugs know how he is and fear him." He scowled at me.

"He's what 15? He can't be that tough." Kyoko raised an eyebrow.

"If he wasn't that tough, then why is Fuwa Sho still in the ICU?" I smiled at the memory. Yato-kun laughed.

"Fuwa Sho's a wimp." Kyoko sighed.

"Fine, but be warned. We are not responsible for your injuries and we will not pay from your hospital bills." She said shaking her head. I chuckled. Yato-kun rolled his eyes.

"Kyoko-san, do I look that weak?"

"It's not that you are weak, it's that Yuki's so strong. If it was Kuon, I would be worrying about funeral cost." I scowled at her.

"I have some self control, Kyoko." She raised an eyebrow.

"Even if it's towards the thorn in your side for the last year and a half." I winced.

"I see the president told you about that."

"Actually, Moko-san was the one to tell me." I raised an eyebrow. She smiled impishly.

"I invited Moko-san, Hiou-kun, and Hime-chan to go with us to the fireworks festival next month. I can't wait to go shopping for yukatas!" Kyoko squealed excitedly. Yuki and Yato-kun forgot their fight as everyone turned to stare at Kyoko.


	24. Chapter 23

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I helped Aoi put the rest of the rest of her bags in the trunk of the car. The president had given us a car with a driver so we could pick up Aoi's things from Hino-kun's apartment and get back to the president's mansion without being detected by my mother. Hino-kun was unhappy about Aoi staying at the president's mansion especially with Yuki staying there, but he was glad that she would be away from the clutches of her grandmother.

"I'll see you later, Yamoto-kun," Aoi said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheeks before climbing into the car. Her cheeks were a bright crimson from the action. I glanced out the window and, sure enough, Hino-kun was red faced, staring dumbfounded at Aoi. I giggled.

"So, Aoi, what are your parents like?" Tears sprung to her eyes at the question.

"I don't remember. My parents died in a car crash when I was two and I've lived with my grandmother ever since." I bit my lip. It was tempting to tell Aoi the truth but it wasn't the right time.

"I'm sorry if I brought up an uncomfortable topic," I said gently. She shrugged.

"Someone was bound to ask. If I still had a mother I would want her to be like you, Kyoko-san. Someone who inspires others, but is modest, and kind to everyone." Aoi said smiling shyly. I smiled.

"I'm honored that you think so highly of me." Aoi shrugged.

"Everyone knows you're something different, something special." She said smiling more confidently. I shook my head.

"I'm not anything special. My looks are average if not below, my acting skills are still mediocre at best, and I'm a horrible mother. I taught my son martial arts so he can protect himself and he uses it for pointless fights. I broke the-love-of-my-life's heart when I ran away to France, and know he accepts me with open arms when we meet again when I still haven't forgiven the first guy to break my heart. In short I'm average or below," I said dryly. Aoi stared at me.

"Kyoko-san, I'll be blunt. You're an idiot." I flinched at Aoi's words. "You're one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen. I mean your eyes are like polished amber. Your hair, well it would be better if it was a darker color but it still does wonders to bring out your eyes and complaints your complexion. Your face is small and heart-shaped. I've watched all of your work and if anyone tells you you're a bad actress they are jealous of you. You portray the emotions so realistically you make viewers experience the same emotions. In a word, you are amazing, Kyoko-san."

I blushed. "It's kind of you to say so, Aoi."

She shook her head. "You really are too modest." She muttered.

_**Kuon's POV**_

When I opened the door I had expected to see anyone other than the woman who was standing there.

"Where is my granddaughter?" Himeji-san demanded. I looked at her blankly.

"Shouldn't I be asking where Aoi is?"

She rolled her eyes. "I know you have her. That girl would never runaway if she had a choice."

I laughed. "She ran away? What did you do different? Kyoko was always trying to get your attention, but Aoi seems to have want she wants in her best interests."

Himeji-san scowled at me. "Aoi is only interested in pleasing me. Unless she found out I lied to her, she would never leave without my or my husband's permission."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Really? Because the teenagers I know don't usual think about asking for parental approval unless they have to."

She stamped her foot. "You immature child! Aoi is nothing like that whore of a mother."

I glared at her. "Kyoko is a wonderful mother. Yuki has some quirks but that's my fault for not being there for him. I was the same way."

She snorted. "Your father is a sorry excuse for a man. He's a coward who couldn't get a real job so he went into acting. Entertainers are basically overpaid whores."

I growled at her. "If any respectable actor heard you, I doubt you'd see the light of morning. We take pride in our work and it is hard work. You try acting out all the roles you've seen on TV. Heck, try to act out all the roles Kyoko did." I smiled as Himeji-san huffed and stormed off. It felt good to tell off the woman who made Kyoko's life a living hell. I closed the door and pulled out my cell phone. I dialed Kyoko's number and waited.

"Hello?" She asked after the third ring.

"Kyoko, it's Kuon. It seems Aoi ran away from home."

"I know." She said leaving me at a loss for words.

"You _knew_ our daughter ran away before I did? How?"

"We saw her at LME today."

"We did?"

"Yes, remember? Yato-kun was teasing Hino-kun about having a girlfriend because she showed up at the seminar?"

"That was her? But I thought she had black hair not brown."

"She dyed her hair." I sighed.

"Do I want to know where this is heading?" Kyoko paused.

"Probably not," she admitted.

"Who does she want revenge on?"

"The beagle's son." I wasn't expecting that.

"He has a son?"

"From what Aoi's told me, yes."

"What woman would want to shack up with him? Wait, forget I asked that." I said remembering all of Vie Ghoul's fans.

"Yeah, so anyway you don't have to worry about her. The president and I will make sure she doesn't get into any trouble. She's going to enter Love Me section as well."

"Sounds like you've been planning."

"Not really. I just thought about what she need and what I needed to do to keep her safe and those things came to mind." I smiled.

"Well, all that matter is that you three are safe."

"Kuon?"

"Yeah?"

"How did you know Aoi ran away? I know my mother wouldn't go to the police with the kidnapping charges against her." I bit my lip.

"Your mother stopped by my apartment a few minutes ago," Kyoko paused.

"You're too calm about it. This isn't the first time," I took a deep breath.

"No, it isn't," Kyoko growled into the phone.

"I can't believe you kept something this important from me, Kuon! What if you went out while Yuki and I were still there and she came by? What if she just decided to kill Aoi because of it?! Think before you keep things from me Kuon!" She shouted, hanging up. I sighed and closed my phone. It wasn't exactly how I was expecting the conversation to go. I also hadn't wanted to tell Kyoko about her mother's visit, knowing about her history with the woman.

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I was furious. He met my mother face-to-face more than once and he only tells me after he discovered Aoi ran away. Yep, perfect marriage partner material. I carefully closed my phone and set it on the bedside table.

I was in one of the numerous guest rooms in the president's mansion, one that was definitely designed by Maria with me in mind. Fairies danced on the walls and ceiling, the furniture was pink with white trim, and the carpet was a pale cream. It was nice, but during my time in hell's kitchen I had grown out of fairies. Of course, I still believed in demons and voodoo dolls and the like.

I took a deep breath to try to calm myself. It didn't help much. I grabbed a light jacket, stuffed my phone in my pocket, and went out into the garden. After the sun went down it got a little chilly even in the summer. Taking a walk usual helped me calm down and focus but it wasn't working too well at that moment. Probably because whenever I thought of nature I thought of fairies and thus I thought of my fairy prince. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard some leaves rustling behind me. I spun around to see a black haired boy with familiar violet eyes wearing ripped jeans, a black t-shirt, a black leather jacket, and black chucks caught on one of the bushes.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded moving towards him. He froze, and glanced at me.

"Aoi?" He asked, shocked. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"No, but what do you want with her? Wait, you're that beagle's son aren't you?" I asked. That explained how his eyes seemed familiar. He winced.

"Dad really hates being called that but I am the son of Reino, the lead singer of Vie Ghoul. I take it you're visiting Aoi too?"

I raised my eyebrow. "Visitors usually use the front door. Stalkers sneak onto the grounds."

He scowled at me. "It's not my fault they wouldn't let me in through the front gates."

I shrugged. "I can't say I'm surprised knowing your heritage and your relationship with Aoi."

He winced. "She hates me doesn't she?"

I smiled. "And why would you think that?"

He rolled his eyes. "My dad thought it would be funny to dye his hair black and pretend to be me for a day. He knew I was supposed to meet a friend that day. That friend would be Aoi, who at the time was my girlfriend, and well he thought she looked like some girl he knew and thought it would be fun to give her a scare."

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm supposed to believe this?"

He winced.

"Dad got a pretty bad beating few years back, a broken jaw, a broken nose, and some brain damage."

I winced.

"I knew I broke his jaw and nose but I think it was my patrons who gave him the brain damage."

He froze.

"That was you? No wonder he thought Aoi looked like you. You guys look like twins."

I laughed. "We're 20 years apart so you can't exactly call us twins." I helped him untangle his leather jacket.

"What's your name?"

"Kyoya and you?" He replied brushing some foliage of his jacket.

I smiled.

"Kyoko. It was nice meeting you, Kyoya-kun. I'll give your name to the guards so you may come in tomorrow. Aoi might not be home though. She has Love Me work, and a new boyfriend." He frowned at the last one.

"What's he like?" He asked and I shrugged.

"I only know him from a supervisor's point of few and I've only known him a few days. He's in Love Me section and Lord knows why the president put him there." Kyoya-kun cursed under his breath.

"You better not curse, and you better stay out of sight of her father." I clamped my hands over my mouth but it was too late. He stared at me wide eyed.

"Her dad's alive?" He blurted out and I winced.

"Yes, so is her mom and twin brother but all of that is a secret from Aoi. I didn't want to tell because she has a lot on her plate and she doesn't know about the threat. I am not going to explain the threats, and if you tell Aoi she may be in greater danger than she already is," I warned him. Kyoya-kun nodded and head back towards the way he came. I made a mental note to get the president to update his security system as I went back inside.


	25. Chapter 24

_**Kuon's POV**_

I sighed. Yashiro just had to pick that day to play matchmaker. He called in 'sick' and naturally Kyoko was assigned as my temporary manager. Neither the president nor Yashiro knew about the fight the night before so both were peeved to find the atmosphere between Kyoko and I less than friendly.

"Kuon, would you kindly explain why Kyoko asked for someone else to take over as your temporary manager?" The president asked me.

I sighed. "We had a small fight last night." He raised a brow. "Her mother came by my apartment last night demanding to know where Aoi was. She was adamant Aoi hadn't run away. I called Kyoko to tell her but she already knew and asked me how I knew that. The thing is Himeji-san had come by the apartment before when Kyoko wasn't there and I didn't tell her because I know she has issue with her mother and now…"

"She's mad at you because you kept something important from her."

I nodded, sighing. "Unless she has to she doesn't talk to me and avoids any contact. Hell, even Yuki's avoiding me."

The president winced. "You screwed up this time, Kuon. And I don't know if you can make up for it." I sighed.

"That's very reassuring." I said dryly.

He rolled his eyes. "I'm being blunt, Kuon. You know she has a few trust issues with men and relationships. I would suggest using Fuwa-kun as a punching bag but, sadly, he's still in the ICU."

I scowled at him. "I do not vent my frustration on innocent bystanders anymore. Fuwa was in no way innocent." Suddenly, an idea struck. "President, do you have any idea where Reino of Vie Ghoul or his son is at the moment?"

He raised a brow. "Yes, I do. They're currently in the building."

I stared at him. "They're what?!" I shouted. I stood and sped walked to the door.

"You don't have to worry, Kuon. They're on the other end of the building they won't even see each other."

I stopped with my hand on the door knob. "You obviously don't know that beagle if you think that." I said jerking the door out of my way. I pulled out my cell and punched in Kyoko's number.

"This is Kyoko. Please leave a message after the tone." I growled and hung up. She just had to choose now to ignore my calls. I made it to the Love Me section practice room in record time, only to find the members of Love Me section minus Kyoko and Aoi.

"Have any of you seen, Kyoko or Aoi?" I asked them. They shrugged.

"Haven't seen 'em since this morning," Yuuri-san said. I sped off towards where I suspected that beagle to be. I rounded the corner at the Music section and my guess was right. Kyoko was restraining Aoi from killing the beagle's son while Reino laughed his ass off. I sighed. Thankfully, the beagle and his son had their backs to me.

"Is there a problem here?" I asked coming up behind them. Kyoko glanced around Aoi's head.

"Not really. Just making sure Aoi doesn't murder the beagle's son. Unlike his father he's actually somewhat likable." She said drearily. I winced. She was still mad. Aoi seemed to have tried herself out trying to get out of Kyoko's grasp. She was started to fall asleep.

"Let's go back to the Love Me section." I said going around the beagle's son to get to where Kyoko and Aoi where standing. The beagle's son took Aoi from Kyoko and shifted her into a bridal style carry.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked him. He glanced at me, and immediately held Aoi out. I took her from him and cradled her in my arms. "Thank you." I said smiling at him. He cowered back and hid behind the beagle.

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I glared at Kuon as he set Aoi in one of the chairs in the Love Me section office. He sighed and turned to me.

"Will you please tell me why you've been glaring at me the whole time I carried Aoi back, Kyoko?" He asked.

"You didn't have to be so mean to Kyoya-kun, Kuon. It wasn't his fault Aoi ended up with a broken heart." He cocked a brow. I sighed. "You've probably noticed how alike the beagle and Kyoya-kun are. Well it seems to have some fun the beagle dyed his hair and went a day being Kyoya-kun. It happened Kyoya-kun had a date with Aoi that day. The beagle saw she looked like me and decided to mess with her. I don't know exactly what happened but I know it wasn't Kyoya-kun's fault. And don't you dare say he might have been lying. I know0 he was telling the truth."

Kuon rolled his eyes. "It's his fault she's like this so her revenge is perfectly fine."

I scowled at him. "Think what you will, but we are not going to interfere with her love life and that is final, Kuon." He opened his mouth to say something but closed it at my deadly glare. He sighed.

"I was going to apologize for not telling you about your mother's visits."

I shrugged. "It's perfectly understandable. You thought I was as weak as I was in my childhood so you didn't tell me. I mean every man is a sexist deep down."

Kuon stared at me. "Did you just excuse me of being sexist?" He asked bewildered.

"Sorry, I thought I'd dumbed it down enough but it looks like it was still above your IQ so you had to take a guess." I said with plastic sincerity.

He smiled, looming over me. "Kyoko, if you keep taking swings at my ego I'm going to do something about it."

I raised an eyebrow. "I was taking swings at your ego? I was just stating facts." That was the last straw for Kuon it seemed. He wrapped one arm around my waist and pulled me roughly to him, while his other secured the back of my head, kissing me hungrily. I tried to pull back but his hands kept me in place. He opened his mouth and licked my bottom lip demanding entrance. If it wasn't for years of willpower development I would have surrendered to my inner desires and kissed Kuon back. I clenched my teeth in response and kept trying to pull away. With each struggle he held me tighter.

He nipped at my bottom lip and I let out a surprised squeak. Kuon used this opportunity to enter my mouth. As his tongue started battling with mine I felt my resistance wash away, replaced by my desire. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled myself closer to him, kissing him fiercely. Kuon chuckled at my sudden eagerness and the sound vibrated through me all the way down to my toes. It felt so right kissing him like the world would stop to admire us whenever we kissed as if it was the perfect example of mutual love. Suddenly, Kuon pulled back, and unwound my arms from around his next. I whimpered in protest. He shook his head, smiling teasingly.

"This is punishment for hurting my ego."

I scowled at him. "You petty man." I huffed storming to the door of the office. I opened the door and six eavesdroppers tumbled inside. My face was instantly a flaming scarlet.

Kuon chuckled. "I didn't think we'd have an audience."

I smiled sweetly at him."Kuon, I think it would be best if you stayed away from Love Me section for a while." I said slamming the door behind me. I was hurt, embarrassed and mad as hell._** How dare he do that to me?! I am a human being and I deserved to be treated fairly!**_ I thought storming to the Love Me section locker rooms I shed my uniform revealing a white t-shirt and a pair of faded jeans. I grabbed my pursed and flipped open my phone as I walked out of the locker room. I punched in Moko-san's number and pressed the phone to my ear.

"Hello?" Hearing Moko-san's voice made me feel a bit better.

"Hi, Moko-san, I was wondering if you were busy."

"Oh, Kyoko. Not really, why?"

I sighed. "I really need to vent or do something to get my mind off Kuon."

She whistled. "That bad of a fight?"

"Yes, that bad."

"I'm walking into LME right now. I was coming to ask if you wanted to go out to dinner."

I smiled softly. "I'll be in the lobby in a few seconds. I just walked out of the locker room."

She chuckled. "I heard the president put you in charge of the new generation of Love Me brats."

I massaged my temples. "Yes, he did and it is probably one of the most stressful jobs I've had yet."

I turned the corner into the lobby and saw Moko-san. I waved hanging up and she did the same.

"So what's the fight about this time?"

I grumbled. "It seems my mother swung by the apartment a few times while I wasn't there and talked with Kuon. He thought I didn't need to know so he didn't tell me."

She winced. "You need a girls' night out."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, but no alcohol and I need to swing by the president's mansion to change."

Moko-san looked me over and nodded. "Yeah, you could keep the top if you had a skirt or something to go with it by otherwise you need to change."

I followed Moko-san out to her blue Mercedes. I climbed into the passenger seat, leaned back, and closed my eyes.

"If I fall asleep wake me up when we get to the president's mansion." I said sighing. I was tired, emotionally and physically, and sleep was very enticing at the moment even if it was only for a half hour.

I have no idea when I drifted off, but I suddenly found myself being shaken awake by Moko-san.

"Kyoko, something's wrong."

I opened my eyes. "What's wrong, Moko-san?"

She glanced out the window. "The president's mansion is burning to the ground as we speak."

"Damn it! Moko-san, we need to go to your house now! We need to find Kuon, Yuki, Aoi, Hiou-kun, and Hime-chan and we need to find somewhere to safe stay that can't be traced back to us." I said wide awake. I glanced out the windows. There were multiple black sedans, but Moko-san had parked in the shadows so they didn't spot us. I glanced at Moko-san who was just staring at me. "Now, Moko-san! We need to go NOW!" I exclaimed quietly. She nodded and we sped away under the cover of shadows.

In minutes we were in front of Moko-san's house. We bolted inside and started shouting instructions at Hime-chan and Hiou-kun as we started packing. I grabbed two of the suit cases and threw them in the trunk. "Is that everything?" I asked as Moko-san and Hiou-kun put four more suitcases in the trunk. They nodded.

"Kyoko, what is going on?" Moko-san asked. I climbed into the back seat with Hime-chan as Hiou-kun and Moko-san climbed into the front seat.

"My mother. I'll explain later right now we need to get to LME. Hopefully, Maria didn't choose today to for her weekly dinner with the president."


	26. Chapter 25

_**Kuon's POV**_

When men dressed in suits carrying automatic weapons show up suddenly most people would panic. What did I do? I grabbed the first one to walk by the Love Me section office, knocked him out, and stole his guns. God knows why Yuki choose that moment to appear but he did and I tossed him the pistol I'd found strapped to the man's leg. His eyes glinted dangerously as he cocked the gun.

"Ready to do some ass kicking?" He asked.

I smirked. "If you mean take out these Russian mafia goons, then yes." He smiled perilously, glancing down the hall.

"Here comes two more. Everyone hide." Yuki said, slipping into position beside the door frame. I went to the other side of the door frame while everyone took cover under or behind one of the numerous desks.

"Saena said to check everywhere," one of the goons said. They opened the door as far as the hinges would go, entered and glanced around but were too stupid to glance behind them. Yuki silently closed the door and snuck up behind one of the goon. I detached myself from the wall and snuck up behind the other one. Before they could turn, Yuki and I simultaneously executed chops to the back of their necks. I grabbed the guns off of one goon while Yuki got the other's. In total we had nine guns.

"Okay, you guys. You can either take a gun and wait in this room with Yuki or you can run out of this room leaving you at those goons' mercy." The president grabbed one of the automatics. I was surprised the man who called himself the 'master of love' knew how to use a gun. The girls took handguns, and Yato-kun and Hino-kun took two of the remaining autos.

"Everyone is to stay in this room until I get back. Do not pick up a phone, do not take out a cell phone, and under no circumstances call the police. We don't need this messier than necessary." I said glancing out the door. "Yuki, if your okaa-san comes give her a gun and tell her to find me, but to be careful while doing it." He nodded.

"Hizuri-san, what's going on? Why are these men here?" I smiled grimly.

"Kyoko's mother wants her dead and she's not going to take no for an answer. Seems she called in a favor from one of her mafia connections." Yuki growled.

"That woman's not satisfied with kidnapping Aoi, now she has to kill, Kaa-san." I chuckled darkly.

"Well, currently, Aoi is sitting, unconscious in the chair behind you." Yuki glanced at her then glanced back at me.

"You mean that's our Aoi?" Hino-kun put a hand on Yuki's shoulder.

"Who's your Aoi?" he asked. Yuki rolled his eyes.

"She's my twin sister, dude, and I have a girl I like." I would have teased him if we weren't in a tense situation.

"This is no time to be bickering. Now, Yuki, even if they know your name and everything about you or if they say they're police make sure they stay out of the room until I get back. If anyone tries to enter, shoot to kill." He nodded grimly. I slipped into the hall checking in front and behind me. I may not have actually been in this situation before in real life but I had acted in enough crime and military dramas to learn, never think you're safe when there's still an enemy breathing.

Getting to the lobby was easy; the problem was getting past the lobby. There were at least 20 men keeping visual. Luck was on my side today because a man my height and build had gone into the bathroom alone a few yards away from me. Thank god, the mafia had a thing for sunglasses.

I slipped into the bathroom unnoticed, and snuck up behind the man. I quickly knocked him out with a chop to the back of the neck. I stripped him down to his skivvies, tied his hand together with my belt, and gagged him with my tie. I changed into the suit, put on the sunglasses and stashed the man's guns and my clothes in a stall with the goon. No one even so much as glanced at me as I slipped through the lobby to the other side. The halls were pretty much deserted but I couldn't say I was surprised. The people of LME were either hiding somewhere or being held somewhere by some goons. I crept up to the open Acting section office door and peered inside. There were two goons and eight bound hostages. I recognized one of the hostages and smiled. Maria's curses were something that was feared all over Tokyo, but the Russian mafia goons didn't know that. I straightened and stepped into the Acting section office.

"You two are wanted in the lobby. I was sent to replace you." They grunted.

"Watch out for the blonde she's performing a curse or something." I nodded. Maria looked up from the back of the group of hostages and smiled. I glanced out the door to make no one was coming, set down my auto and started untying them. As each one was freed they gave me weird looks.

"You guys can't recognize me? God, I thought I would be recognized by my fellow co-workers in Acting section." I said jokingly. Maria rolled her eyes.

"What's going on?" I sighed.

"Russian mafia, I'll explain when we find Kyoko. Hopefully, she wasn't here when these guys showed up." I said picking up my weapon and handed it to Maria. "Maria, stay here and hid. If anyone comes in either shoot them or knock them out, take their weapons and distribute them amongst yourselves. If you have extra weapon make sure it's stashed away where the other guys can't get them. And for the bodies, it might be best to stash them out of sight." She gulped and nodded. I smiled grimly as a goon came walking down the hall. Once he'd past the door I slipped out right behind him and used my elbow to knock him out. I tucked his auto under one arm and dragged him into the office.

"He probably has a pistol or some sort of handgun on him somewhere." I said laying him out of view from the door. Maria gulped and hesitantly stepped forward. "He's not dead so bind his hands and feet and make sure to gag him so he can't call out for help." She sighed relieved and started searching the man for weapons as I slipped into the hall.

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I cursed as Moko-san drove past LME.

"I was hoping they wouldn't be here yet." Moko-san parked out of sight and I climbed out. Hiou-kun and Moko-san started to get out. "No, you three are staying here. It's way too dangerous for you to go in there."

Moko-san glared at me. "You expect me to just sit back while you but yourself in harm's way?!"

I shook my head. "This is my fight, Moko-san. This is a war between my okaa-san and I. The fact that she's dragging LME into this is unforgivable." Hiou-kun got out and stood beside me.

"I may not be armed but my bare hands are enough to take down an army." I smiled sadly and hugged him.

"Thank you, Hiou-kun." I said letting him go. He smiled.

"If I didn't go Kanae would kill me." He said turning to his wife.

Moko-san scowled at him and kissed him. "Both of you better come back alive or I'm not going to your funerals." We nodded.

"We'll be back, Moko." I said as we heading towards LME.

Outside there was a man at every corner of the building. I growled under my breath. "Looks like she pulled out all stops. Getting in won't be too hard but getting out is an entirely different matter." I said to Hiou-kun. I took a deep breath, released my demons, focused them into what looked like a black fog, and sent them after the suit-wearing goons. Like air, the demons seep into the building through every crack they could find, knocking out the goons as they passed. The demons would only knock out the goons as that was my command so if there were any hostages they wouldn't beaffected. Even if the goons ran or changed out of the suits my demons would still find them because of the darkness that occupied their hearts.

"Kyoko-chan, what exactly is that black fog?" Hiou-kun asked as the lookouts started dropping like flies.

I smiled. "That would be a demon fog, Hiou-kun. And don't worry it'll only knock out the mafia men."

He shivered. "You really are a demon, aren't you?"

I chuckled darkly. "I can control demons, Hiou-kun. I'm not one of them."

He gulped. "That's not very reassuring." I shrugged, walking towards the door. At least two dozen men were sprawled out on the floor in the lobby. I opened one of the doors, nudging unconscious goons out of the way.

"Which way? Love Me section or Acting section?" I asked Hiou-kun. He shrugged and headed towards the hall that led to Love Me section.

"Yuki-kun, Kuon-kun, and Aoi-chan are most likely in the Love Me section so that would be the first place to check." I nodded and followed him. The hall was devoid of any unconscious bodies. We came to the Love Me section office and peeked inside. Yuki, the president, Aoi and Love Me section were inside with no sign of any goons. I sighed with relief as we walked in.

"Kaa-san!" Yuki exclaimed happily. I rushed over and hugged him.

"I'm so glad you're okay. Where's your Tou-san?"

He shrugged. "Tou-san head off towards the Acting section. He was going to try to knock out as many goons as he could while freeing hostages." I nodded, and walked over to Aoi. I shook her awake.

She rubbed her eyes and looked at me groggily. "What is it, Kyoko-san?"

"Aoi, this is probably going to come as a shock but I am your okaa-san, Yuki is your twin brother, and Kuon is your father. My okaa-san, your grandmother has been lying to you for the last 13 years. But right now we don't have time to catch up. This building is full of unconscious Russian mafia men and I need your help. You can control your demons a lot better than Yuki can and that is an advantage I need right now." She nodded weakly.

Yuki held out handguns for both of us. "Tou-san said to give you a gun when I saw you."

I smiled and took the gun. "It's always good to have a back up." Aoi hesitantly took the gun. I patted her hand. "You probably won't have to use it. We have a weapon they don't have and they won't know what hit them." She took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

Determination burned at the core of the twin amber spheres. "What do you need me to do?"

I smiled softly. "I need to you to watch my back while I look for Kuon. I will be watching your back as well." Hiou-kun cleared his throat.

"What about me?" he asked.

"You are responsible to take Yuki and the rest to start sweeping this side of the building. Gag and bind every mafia goon you find. When you're done wait just outside the perimeter in the shadows. I'll be sending out all the hostages I find so you'll be responsible for calming them down. Once everyone's out, that include Aoi, Kuon, and I, we'll call the police, wait for them to show up and explain what's going on. My okaa-san's definitely going to prison for this." I added smiling bleakly.


	27. Chapter 26

_**Kuon's POV**_

The black fog overtook the goon I was about to knock out. I stared at it not believing my eyes. Little demon Kyoko's winked at me from within the fog. I smiled, relieved. Kyoko was here and she was fighting without actually seeing combat. I winked back at the little Kyoko demons and they turned crimson. I chuckled.

"Are all the goons out?" I asked them. They nodded shyly. I made a mental note to tease Kyoko and her demons after this whole mess was over.

"Okay, I'll start sweeping this side of the building for hostages and I'll bind and gag the goons I find." They nodded and went off to knock out more goons. I took off the goon's tie and used it to gag him. I took out his shoelaces and tied his hands and feet together. I propped him up against the wall and continued cautiously. With every goon I found I repeated what I did with the first one. I used their ties to gag them, used their shoelaces to bind them, and propped them up against the wall. I lost track of how many goons I tied up. That woman had pulled out all the stops. There had to be an army of goons, but it wasn't really that surprising. She did have connections with the Russian mafia.

I rounded a corner to come face-to-face with my father.

"Kuon, where'd you get that gun?" He asked disapprovingly. I raised an eyebrow.

"Probably the same place you got yours." I said gesturing to Otou-san's own auto. He shrugged.

"A man's got to do what a man's got to do. Mind telling me what's going on?"

I shrugged. "Russian mafia's after Kyoko."

He sighed. "Jokes aren't going to help."

I rolled my eyes. "It wasn't a joke. They really are after Kyoko and they really are Russian mafia. Her okaa-san has some connects and she called in a favor." Otou-san growled. "Have you already cleared this side of the building?" I asked. He nodded. "Okay, then let's go back down to the lobby. We should meet up with Kyoko on the way." Otou-san stared at me as I started heading for the stairs.

"Kyoko-chan's here but you let her all by herself?!"

I plugged my ears so my eardrums didn't burst. "I only recently found out she was in the building. And like she's always telling me, Kyoko can take care of herself and has been for years."

He scowled at me. "But that means she unarmed in a building full of mafia men."

I shook my head. "She's armed. If she ran into Yuki she's got a gun, if she hasn't she's probably got Hiou with her."

Otou-san quirked an eyebrow. "And how would you know that?"

I winced. "Whenever Kyoko needs to vent she goes to Kanae-san."

"Ah, what did you do this time?"

I scowled at him. "It's not always my fault." He shrugged. I grumbled. "It's complicated."

Otou-san rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Kuon." I sighed as we started down the flights of stairs. He wasn't going to let it go. We had just left the third floor when we ran into Kyoko and Aoi. They hadn't expected to find me with Otou-san so it took them a moment to process the information. Kyoko reacted first. She jumped on me, saying something about how worried she's been and how'd she'd feel bad if anything happened to her. I chuckled and hugged her.

"I'm glad you're okay."

She scowled at me. "I can take care of myself, Kuon. I have been for years."

I smirked. "Told you, Otou-san."

He rolled his eyes. "Is everyone out of the building?"

"Expect the Russian mafia goons, yes. Or at least they should. I left Hiou-kun in charge of that." I grinned at Otou-san.

He grumbled. "Let's get out of here and call the cops." I nodded and let go of Kyoko. She let go of me and grabbed my hand. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"I want to keep you with me." She said simply.

I smiled softly. "Let's go." The walked out was uneventful and quiet. Hiou was waiting a couple hundred yards from the building in the shadows so it was hard to see him at first. He had everyone who was in the building with him.

"Finally, I was getting worried about how I was going to explain the fact that I was alive you weren't to my wife."

Kyoko laughed. "I won't die that easily." She said mysteriously. I would have bet all the money I had that she said that because of her little Kyoko demons. Hiou pulled out his cell phone and called the police. It seemed like forever before they finally arrived. Five police cars pulled into the LME parking lot. All the weapons we had stolen from the goons were stacked in a neat pile. One of the policemen scratched his head in wonderment probably wondering how we managed to get them all.

"How'd you manage to knock out all these men?" Another policeman asked. Kyoko and I looked at each other.

"I have no idea." we chorused. I chuckled while she giggled.

The policeman rolled his eyes. "But do you know who all these men are?" He asked.

"Russian mafia." All of us said together. He was a little shocked that all of us said it.

"Um, well, do any have you have an idea why they were here?"

I clenched my teeth. "They were called in on a favor. They were here to take out a woman."

The policeman raised an eyebrow. "Did they succeed?" I shook my head, smiling at Kyoko.

"Nope, she's still breathing." I said kissing her. She scowled at me, while the policeman cleared his throat.

"Miss, do you have any idea who would want to take you out?"

She smiled sadly. "Only one name comes to mind. Himeji Saena, my okaa-san." Aoi put a hand on her shoulder. Kyoko smiled at her.

_**Kyoko's POV**_

The policeman stared at me. "Are you sure that's the right name, Miss?"

I growled at him. "I already placed kidnapping charges against her, so yes, I am sure I have the right name." I said crisply.

"Miss, Himeji Saene is the wife of a very influential politician. I doubt she would want to kill you."

I raised an eyebrow. "She considers me a threat, so she's decided to deal with me. She deemed me a threat to her husband's reputation 13 years ago when she kidnapped my daughter, her granddaughter."

"Let me get this straight. You're her daughter, and she kidnapped your daughter because she thought you were a threat to her husband's reputation." I nodded. "Miss, that is very unlikely. And Himeji-san's only daughter died 13 years ago."

"Fake death certificates." I said rubbing my temples.

"What?"

I glared at him. "She submitted fake death certificates. I've been in France for the last 15 years, goddamn it. I couldn't have died in Japan if I was in Paris." Kuon chuckled. I scowled at him.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into coming here." I muttered sighing.

"Do you have any proof of identity miss?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I do but I left it in my friend's car."

"Why did you do that?"

I stared at him. "I was going into a building filled with Russian mafia men who were out to kill me. Why would I need an ID?"

"You should always have an ID on you at all times, Miss."

I growled at the policeman. "Hiou-kun, call Moko and tell her to drive down her. I need my purse." I said massaging my temples. That day was one turninh out to be one of the worst. He opened his phone and called her.

"Hiou, are you okay?! Is Kyoko okay?! What's happening?!" Moko shouted over the phone. He pulled the phone away from his ear.

"Kanae, calm down. Everyone's fine and everything's okay. Kyoko-chan needs her purse and she thinks she left it in the car." Moko replied and Hiou-kun sighed.

"Fine, she can run down the purse. No, the Russian mafia men aren't gone yet but they are unconscious thanks to Kuon-kun and Kyoko-chan." He paused. "Yes, Yuki-kun is here too." There was a sound that sounded like a fan girlish squeal and Hiou-kun hung up. "Hime will be here with the purse soon. And Yuki?"

"Yeah?" He asked cautiously.

"You may want to start running." Yuki didn't need any clarification. He dived under one of the squad cars and made himself as small as possible.

Hiou-kun whistled. "I heard from Kanae that Yuki had a few bad experiences with fan girls but I didn't think he'd be this traumatized."

I nodded. "Yes, he has very bad memories about fan girls. That's one of the reasons he tends to stay away from girls." As if on cue Hime-chan came bounding down the parking lot, my purse in hand.

"Here you are, Kyoko ba-chan." She glanced around. "He heard my squeal, didn't he? Ah, crap. I didn't mean to do it, it just happened." She said groaning.

I patted her on the back, taking my purse. "It's okay, Hime-chan. It's not your fault Yuki is afraid of fan girls. If anyone's to blame it's the girls at his school. They always steal his stuff. The school won't do anything about because they're the ones stealing most of it and sell the items for school funds." Hime-chan growled under breath. I chuckled and started digging through my purse for my ID. I found it and showed it to the policeman.

"Here's my ID, and if you say it's a fake you obvious don't know the difference between a real ID and a fake." He took my ID and examined it.

"Okay, Mogami-san. I'll file the police report and see what I can do." My demons told me he was lying. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"You work for her don't you?" The guilt and surprise on his face said it all. "You came to see if the goons did their job. You were the one who followed me to LME from the police station. You probably came here to see if those goons had done the job so you could report back to that bitch I was dead." I hissed at him pushing Aoi behind me. "She probably would kill someone if she found out Aoi was in there when those goons stormed the building." His eyes grew wide with horror.

"Is Aoi-sama okay?! If Himeji-sama finds out about this she'll have my head!"

I glared at him with disgust. "If you're too blind to see for yourself then I have to reason to tell you." I told him coolly.

He stared at me bewildered. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He asked as Yuki came up behind him.

"You work for that old hag?" Yuki asked politely, but you could plainly hear the underlying anger. The policeman gulped and glanced at Yuki.

"Assaulting an officer will means you'll be tried as an adult." He warned.

Yuki raised a brow. "Did I ever say I was going to assault you?" he asked. The policeman shook his head cringing away from Yuki. Said boy smiled. "I didn't think so. Now, if you would kindly do your job and round up those mafia men who should be waking up soon I think everyone will be happy." He said patting the policeman's shoulder. I rolled my eyes.


	28. Chapter 27

_**Kuon's POV**_

I smiled at the morning paper. On the front page was the headline "Himeji Saena Behind Bars! The Reason?" Kyoko hadn't done anything and that woman was behind bars. Yuki peered over my shoulder and grinned.

"Looks like we're famous."

I chuckled. "Your okaa-san and I are already famous. But at least our relationship didn't come out. That would be a nightmare." Yuki shuddered and nodded, probably comparing the press with his fan girls. Not much difference between the two, truth be told. Kyoko and Aoi staggered out of the guestroom wearing two of my shirts and into the kitchen. Immediately they turned to me, smelling food. I grabbed my plate of toast and hid it under the table.

"Food now." Kyoko demanded lumbering towards me with Aoi right on her heels. I stood up, plate in hand and walked to the other side of the kitchen. They growled and followed me.

"Kuon, we had a bad night. We had to sleep in your clothes because all of ours are gone. We had to face men from the Russian mafia, and deal with my okaa-san's lackey. We want food and you have food. We want food now and you will give us food now." She said reaching for my plate.

"I thought you hated my cooking." I said moving the plate just out of her reach.

She snorted. "You put bread in a toaster and waited for it to pop that's not cooking." Kyoko said reaching for the plate again. As I moved it again she growled. "Yuki, get me that plate." She ordered him. I raised an eyebrow glancing at Yuki. He shrugged and took the plate from me.

"Sorry, Tou-san. But I like Kaa-san better." He said handing her the plate.

Kyoko smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, honey."

He smiled. "No problem, Kaa-san." Kyoko broke the remaining piece of toast in half and gave one piece to Aoi who gladly accepted it. Munching on the toast, she walked over to the fridge and checked its contents.

"Kuon, go to the story and buy some eggs, orange juice, and milk." She said closing the door. I raised a brow at the command. Kyoko returned the action putting two slices of bread into the toaster.

"Do you want to eat tomorrow morning? Oh, and later Aoi and I are going shopping so we'll be gone for a few hours."

I sighed. "Looks like I'm going to play pack mule."

She shook her head. "You're not coming, Yuki is."

Said boy sit out the orange juice he was drinking. "I am?" He asked.

Kyoko giggled and nodded. "Yep, I invited Moko, Hime-chan, and Maria to come along too so you'll have some pack mule company." I chuckled as Yuki groaned. Kyoko rolled her eyes as the toaster popped.

"Oh, and Kuon?" I glanced at her as she put the toast on a plate and put it in front of Aoi. She held up my wallet. "Thanks for the cash." I stared at my wallet and patted down my pockets. I came up empty. She was really holding my wallet.

"How'd you…?" I asked trying to figure how she got it without touching me. She giggled putting two more slices of bread in the toaster.

"Se-cr-et." Kyoko said touching the wallet to her lips. Aoi giggled, high-fiving Kyoko.

I sighed. "I better start taking more roles if you two keep stealing my wallet."

They shrugged. "I'm going to join LME again once we have everything sorted out. Aoi is already in Love Me section, but once we get things settled she'll probably join the acting section."

I rolled my eyes. "That doesn't mean you'll pay me back or stop taking my wallet." I said as the toaster popped.

"True." They said as Kyoko put the toast on another plate and sat back down at the table. Yuki laughed. Aoi raised a brow at him and held up a black faux leather wallet. He stopped laughing and checked his pockets.

"How'd…?" Yuki asked staring at her. Aoi giggled.

"Like Kaa-san said se-cr-et." She said touching the wallet to her lips like Kyoko did.

Kyoko smiled. "That's my girl."

I raised my eyebrow. "You're teaching our daughter to be a thief?"

She scowled at me. "No, I'm praising her for her skills. I tried to teach Yuki how to do it but he wasn't able to. His gifted is physical strength. Aoi's gift is more mental." Kyoko said carefully.

I cocked an eyebrow again. "'More mental'? What's that supposed to mean?" I asked. Aoi and Kyoko glanced at each other.

"Se-cr-et." They said, erupted into giggles.

I rolled my eyes. "Well, before you two do anything you should get dressed in something besides my shirts."

They snorted. "Like we'd go out wearing this." They said pointing to the shirts they were wearing.

"If someone didn't know better they'd say you two are twins."

Kyoko raised an eyebrow. "Really? Kyoya-kun said the same thing."

Aoi's aura turned black. "Kaa-san, can you reframe from saying that name in my presence."

I smiled. "It's good to know you hate the beagle and his son."

Kyoko glared at me. "He's not a bad kid. Heritage isn't everything. I mean look how Sho turned out compared to his otou-san."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, for one I've never met Fuwa-san, and two Fuwa is just an idiot ass."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever." Kyoko said, clearing Aoi's and her dishes. Aoi and Yuki gave me sympathetic looks. Kyoko stomped off to the guestroom with Aoi right on her heels.

Yuki chuckled. "Looks like France is still a definite possibility." He commented head to the table where his wallet was. He stopped and stared at his wallet which was cover by a little Aoi demon.

"Otou-san, my wallet was right here, wasn't it?" Yuki asked frowning. I smirked. He couldn't see the demons.

"Aoi, let Yuki see his wallet." I called. There was a grumble and what sounded faintly like a "Screw you".

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I changed into the clothes I was wearing yesterday and called Moko and Maria.

"Hey, girls, so who's driving?" I asked.

"Well, I have my Mercedes, and Hiou could also bring his truck if we need it." Moko offered.

"I have my Porsche, but that can only fit me and a passenger. Oh, I know! How about we ask my ojii-sama if we can borrow one of his limos?" Maria suggested.

"No!" Moko and I shouted.

"I am not going to be driven around in a gold diamond studded SUV stretch limo." Moko said firmly.

"He has normal limos you know."

"I highly doubt that, Maria. Remember who we're talking about here."

She sighed. "Ojii-sama likes privacy occasionally and he has a few limos just for my use."

Moko and I sighed. "You're spoiled."

Maria giggled. "Okay, so we're going to use one of my limos that should be enough for eight people."

I smiled. "Ryuji-kun is coming with us?"

"Of course. Anytime I mention shopping he knows that unless it's only little shopping he's my official pack mule."

I whistled. "Sounds like someone's think of popping the question." I may have been in France for 15 years but from what I experienced with Maria and shopping, if Ryuji-kun was volunteering to be a pack mule for Maria he was head over heels in love with her.

"I don't know. I mean we're taking things slow. It was like the eighth date before I let him kiss me on my doorstep. It didn't help that my ojii-sama was spying on us either."

I chuckled.

"Your otou-san is off on business so the president is taking over the role of the overprotective father." Moko said, chuckling softly.

"Whatever, so what time do you two want to be picked up?"

I covered the bottom of the phone with my hand. "Aoi, what time do you want to go shopping?"

"As soon as possible." She answered immediately.

I chuckled and uncovered the phone. "'As soon as possible,' Aoi says."

Maria and Moko chuckled.

"That's fine with me. Hime's itching to go shopping and she's ecstatic that Yuki-kun's coming with us."

I smiled. "Yuki's excited to see Hime-chan again too, even if he won't admit it."

Moko chuckled. "Hiou was like that too. He would make up excuse for why he was always around and say he didn't want to be there. It's cute but after a while it gets annoying that they can't be honest and say they want to be next to you or near you."

"Yes, I remember how he was, but after meeting you he shaped up quite a bit."

Moko laughed. "He didn't change that much. If he doesn't get what he wants he pouts about it and gives me the silent treatment. Now, what's funny is that I can take the silent treatment for days when Hiou can only last a few hours." There was a noise in the background and Moko giggled. Hiou-kun was probably complaining about her telling his little secret to Maria and me.

"Okay, I'll go get one of the limos and Ryuji. I'll pick up Kanae-san first and then we will pick up Onee-sama."

"Sounds like a plan. See you guys in a few."

"See you." They said, hanging up.

"So what are Kanae-san and Maria-san really like?" Aoi asked sitting on the bed. I smiled.

"Maria is somewhat like her ojii-san. She's eccentric but not as much as the president. She likes things that have to do with black magic and Kuon. Maria's his biggest fan." She giggled at that. "Moko is serious, but she can have a good time if she wants to. After marrying Hiou-kun she's seemed to have loosened up some. She doesn't usually express her emotions openly so you have to watch her carefully." Aoi grinned.

"I can't wait to meet them. Hime-chan seems nice too."

I smiled. "She is. She's also a candidate for your sister-in-law."

She giggled. "Yeah, I saw how Yuki was looking at her. It was like he was scared of her fan girl side but he really likes her." Aoi said a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

"No playing cupid." I said bluntly.

She pouted. "But I want to help."

I chuckled. "I know, but I gave him two years. After that you can do whatever you want."

Aoi smiled impishly. "I better start planning."

I smiled softly. "It's great to have you back."

Aoi hugged me. "It's great to be back, Kaa-san."

Someone knocked on the door.

"Kaa-san, who all is coming with us?" Yuki asked poking his head into the room.

"Let's see, Maria's bringing Ryuji-kun and Moko is bringing Hiou-kun and Hime-chan." He nodded and went off mumbling something. I raised an eyebrow and looked at Aoi.

She shrugged. "Maybe he's planning something."

"If that's so, what is he planning?"

She shrugged. "Maybe it has to do with Hime-chan."

I laughed. "That boy won't even think about confessing until she's in high school."

Aoi smirked. "So that's why you gave him two years."

I giggled. "Yes, and I bet he's going to be planning every minute of those two years."


	29. Chapter 28

_**Kuon's POV**_

I waved as the limo pulled away. I walked into the kitchen and was surprised to see my wallet sitting in the middle of the table. I smiled.

"Well, I'll be damned. They forgot my wallet." I said picking it up and putting it in my pocket. I picked up the real-estate listing and started looking through it. There was still an 80 percent chance Kyoko would stay in Japan and my apartment was just too small to fit four people. My cell started ringing while I was in the middle of looking through the listings. I grumbled and answered.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Kuon. I called to tell you a little bit of information I found and thought you'd like to know."

I set down the listings. "And what would that be, President?"

"I know where Kyoko-chan's otou-san is."

"Great, where is he?"

The president chuckled. "Ryuuya is now living in LA running a popular entertainment agency, but in two weeks he's going on a business trip to Paris so you have to go this weekend or next week."

I massage my temples. "That throws a wrench into my plans. I was planning to go to Kyoto this weekend with Kyoko and the kids but it looks like we're going on a field trip to America."

"Why were you planning on going to Kyoto?"

"I was planning on going to the place where Kyoko and I first met and proposing."

"Well, I could see if we could reschedule all your work for next week so you could go then." The president wanted Kyoko an engaged woman as soon as possible and preferably to me.

"Sounds like a plan." I said hanging up. One problem down, three to go. I sighed. This weekend and next week would be very interesting. I dialed Yashiro's number and mentally prepared myself to face his inner fan girl. He picked up after the third ring.

"What is it, Kuon? I thought you were taking today off." He asked yawning.

"I am, but I need the thing I entrusted you with a few weeks ago."

Yashiro paused. "Why do you need that? It's just an old little box."

I was surprised. "You didn't peek inside after I told you not to?"

He sighed. "Kuon, you have to have more faith in me. Of course I wouldn't look in that. It's not anything that could give me anything that I can use." I wasn't going to asked what he would use it for.

"Can you give it to me today or tomorrow? I need it over the weekend."

"What's in the box that you'll need over the weekend?"

I sighed. "Look inside that box and you'll get the picture." There was the sound of drawers opening.

Suddenly, Yashiro squealed, his inner fan girl released. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?! Oh my god! I can't wait to see the look on Kyoko-chan's face when you propose!" He squealed happily.

"Oi, who said you were going to see me propose?"

"Kuon, even if I have to put a tracking device in your boxers I will find you and watch you propose to Kyoko-chan."

I shivered; fan girl Yashiro was something to be feared. "Yashiro, when a man proposes he doesn't exactly like an audience. If you show up it better have been worth a few bruises and broken bones."

"You won't hurt me. The president will be furious if you do."

I smiled. "That's where you're wrong, Yashiro. I believe the president will feel sympathy for you but he won't blame me. He had to propose to a woman once upon a time centuries ago."

Yashiro grumbled. "Fine, but you are telling me how it went when you get back to Tokyo."

I smirked. "I'm not sure I'm going remember it by then."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"After Kyoto I'm going to America for a week. Didn't the president tell you?" Of course he hadn't yet. The president got off the phone with me only a few minutes before so there was no time to call Yashiro.

"No, he didn't. But more importantly why are you going?"

"I have a few things I want to get done before my wedding, if there is one."

"And what would those things be?"

I rolled my eyes. "Is it important for you to know, Yashiro?"

He sighed. "Kuon, I am your manager. It is my job to know every little detail about your life."

"You know that makes you sound like an obsessed stalker, right?" Yashiro paused thinking about what he said.

"I guess it does but that's not the point."

I sighed "I'm going to America with Kyoko to see her otou-san, happy?"

Yashiro sighed. "I wanted the truth, Kuon. Not a lie."

"It wasn't a lie, Yashiro. Just ask the president."

"Why would —" I hung before he could finish asking his question. I set my phone on the table and picked up the listings again. My phone started ringing again. I grumbled, put down the listings once again, and answered my phone.

"Hello?"

"Kuon? It's Kyoko. You'll never guess where I'm calling from."

I raised an eyebrow. "From the mall?" I guessed. That was where she was supposed to be shopping.

"Nope, I'm calling from the police station."

I sighed and stood up, abandoning the listings. "Yuki, Hiou, and Ryuji-kun started a fight I assume?"

"Not in the least. A group of boys was bothering us, Yuki, Hiou-kun, and Ryuji-kun told them to cut it out. They recognized Yuki and started taunting him. He replied calmly and coolly as he started to usher the others and me on. They just had to start throwing punches. Someone called the police and the group of asses said Yuki, Hiou-kun, and Ryuji-kun started the fight so they're in jail. Maria and Moko were arguing with the officer so they were throwing in a cell. Don't even get me started on Aoi and Hime-chan," Kyoko said groaning.

"What did they do?"

"They _attacked_ the group of jackasses. At first it was Aoi and her demons while Hime-chan was fuming beside her, but one of the jackasses had a natural resistance that was blocking them so she launches herself at the closet one and just starts beating him to a pulp. My okaa-san signed her up for self defense lesson we she was 12 and Aoi has been practicing ever since it seems. Hime-chan, after seeing Aoi launch herself at the group, decides to join in. So she sneaks up behind the closet one to her and gave him a hearty kick to the back."

I repressed a chuckle, slipping on my shoes. "Sounds like a chip off the old block."

"Kuon, can you just come and get us? I tried to at least explain and get Yuki and Aoi out but they won't believe me because they think I'm lying about my age and I left my purse in the limo."

I chuckled softly. "I'm already heading out the door, Kyoko. I should be there in a few minutes." I could hear a faint sigh of relief on the other end.

"Thank you, Kuon. I'll make it up to you sometime."

I smiled. If she was thanking me for this and promising to make up for it just wait 'til I tell her about the trip to LA.

"Its okay, Kyoko, they're my kids too." I said quietly glancing around the lobby. Thank goodness, it was empty. If the press got wind that I had kids, Yuki and Aoi wouldn't be able to set foot outside of the lobby without being swarmed by reporters and god knows who else. Then things would start to come out about Aoi and the beagle's son, then things about Yuki and Hime and that would cause things to become a lot worse.

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I was overjoyed when Kuon walked through the doors to the police station.

"So how long do they plan on holding them?" He asked kissing me as he put an arm around my waist.

"They're going to hold Yuki and Aoi until their parents and/or guardian shows up. Moko and Maria will spend a night in jail. Hiou-kun and Ryuji-kun get to stay in jail until the trial. The gang of jackasses pressed charges. They tried to press charges on Yuki too but since there was no actually proof that Yuki was involved in the fighting they withdrew the charges. And Hime-chan is stuck until her grandparents come."

"Let's go get Aoi and Yuki." Kuon said heading towards the front desk.

The policeman behind the desk looked up as we approached and sighed. "I've already told you, Miss. Until one of their parents come I can't let them go."

I rolled my eyes. "See what I mean? Without my ID no one believes me." I said to Kuon. The policeman glanced at Kuon.

"I assume you're the kids' otou-san? You're children's friend here kept saying she was their okaa-san."

Kuon smiled gentlemanly. "That's because she is. She turns 36 in December."

The policeman laughed. "Show me her real ID and I might believe you."

Kuon rolled his eyes. "Do you have the keys to the limo or did Maria have them?" he asked.

"Maria had them since it was her limo."

He massaged his temples. "Great. So we'll have to come back tomorrow to get your purse. Do you have any shopping bags?"

I shook my head. "We were about to head into the first store when the fight started."

He sighed quietly. "Looks like we're to shopping after we get the kids out."

I shrugged. "It can't be helped."

The policeman just rolled his eyes. "I'll go get your two brats. They're sharing a cell with the others so they may be a little scuffed up." Kuon and I followed him back to the holding cells, trying to contain smiles. If anyone was scuffed up it would be the other teens. As predicted Yuki, Aoi and Hime-chan were unscratched. Four teenage boys were pressing themselves against the far wall glancing nervously at the three unconscious boys on the floor.

The policeman whistled. "Looks like those three can take care of themselves," he said. They looked at us and smiled.

"Finally, I was getting worried we'd be here all night." Yuki said standing up. Aoi remained seated next to Hime-chan watching the teenage boys cautiously.

"It's not my fault no one believes I'm 35." I said as the policeman unlocked the cell. Aoi stood up, gave the boys a quick glare and exited the cell. Yuki rolled his eyes, following her.

"See you later, Hime-san." He said glancing forlornly over his shoulder.

She smiled softly. "See you later, Yuki-kun." He was smiling genuinely as we left.

"So, when's your first date?" Aoi asked him climbing into the back seat. I giggled climbing into the passenger seat. Yuki scowled at Aoi from the seat next to her.

"She's hands off for two years, Aoi. I'm not going to ask her out until she's in high school."

Aoi scowled at him. "Hime-chan is the only girl who you would even consider going out with and you're going to leave her unclaimed for two years?! Are you sane, Yuki?! God knows, how many sleazy bastards have their sights set on Hime-chan!"

Yuki raised an eyebrow. "I said I wasn't going to ask her out until high school. Did I ever say anything about leaving my competition intact?"

Kuon chuckled. "Chips off the old blocks."

I rolled my eyes. "At least they won't have the crazy adventures we did."

"What would be the fun if they don't experience the world for themselves?" He asked, innocently. I rolled my eyes.


	30. Chapter 29

_**Kuon's POV**_

I groaned as Kyoko handed me five more shopping bags. I was already carrying 10 other bags so I had to rearrange my hold on the bags to accommodate for the additions. Yuki snickered beside me.

"Having fun, Tou-san?" He teased.

I shrugged. "It's not as bad as shopping with Maria." Kyoko shivered imagining that picture.

Yuki shrugged. "I've been Kaa-san's pack mule for years so I'm used to it."

I snorted. "For Kyoko this is a huge shopping trip. She usually only has one or two bags, not fifteen."

Yuki glanced at Aoi's four bags in his hands. "Well, since Aoi was raised in luxury I'm sort of surprised that she so few shopping bags."

Aoi whapped him on the back of the head. "Obaa-sama never approved of unnecessary shopping. If I need clothes I would buy them. If I didn't need them I wouldn't. She was one strict witch."

"Don't you mean bi—" Yuki stopped himself short and glanced at Kyoko.

She was scowling at him. "Haven't I told you to _stop_ swearing, Yuki? You're getting as bad as Kuon."

"Oi! I do not swear that often." I said trying to seem insulted.

Kyoko rolled her eyes. "In public you don't. But once you get away from the press there's a swear word in every fourth sentence."

I scowled at her. "I don't swear _that_ often. Over the years I've really cut back."

She nodded. "Yes, it has. Instead of being in every sentence it's in ever fourth sentence now."

I sighed. "You're being adamant about this because you're still mad about the other day, aren't you?"

Kyoko paused for a moment a blank look on her face. "I forgot about that but thanks for reminding me, Kuon." She said with faux sweetness.

I winced. "You deserved that."

She snorted. "I wasn't taking swings at your ego."

I scowled at her. "You called me sexist, insulted my intelligence, and denied it!" Kyoko swirled on her heels and stalked towards the next store. I grumbled and trudged after her. I had a nagging feeling my wallet was missing and that it would soon be empty.

Following Kyoko turned out to be harder than I thought. The mall was crowded and it was easy to lose sight of Kyoko because she was so petite. I have no idea how Yuki and Aoi could manage to see her in the crowd while I couldn't.

When we finally caught up with Kyoko she tossed me my wallet. I wasn't surprised to find it empty except for my credit and debit card. Thank goodness credit cards require ID and debit cards require a pin.

"Looks like you're going to be busy from now on." Yuki said, glancing inside my wallet.

Aoi giggled. "If he'd stop getting Kaa-san mad he wouldn't need to take on more roles. Heck, he might even be able to get her to sleep in the same room with him."

Yuki snickered. "He'd love that."

I smacked both of them on the back of the head.

"What was that for?!" They asked, scowling at me.

"That was for giving me advice when you two aren't even dating."

Aoi kicked me in the shin. "Don't lump me together with that chicken. I have a boyfriend."

I stopped walking. "You have a boyfriend?" I asked calmly.

Aoi hid behind Yuki. "Yes." She said meekly.

I smiled my gentleman smile. "And what would his name be?"

Aoi gulped. "I'm not going to tell you." She said quietly still cowering behind Yuki.

"And why would that be?" I asked her.

"Because I don't want him in the hospital or in a grave." She said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I scowled at Aoi. "I wouldn't kill him."

"Kaa-san didn't tell you where I was staying when I ran away?" She asked cautiously.

"No, she didn't but what does that have to do with anything?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"Nothing! Nothing at all!" She said running to catch up with Kyoko who was walking a few feet in front of us. I made a mental note to ask Kyoko about where Aoi was staying when she ran away from that woman.

"Do you have any ideas, Yuki?" I asked him. I knew from experience, a brother's number one job was ratting out his sister.

"Remember the Love Me section seminar and you'll be good to go." Yuki said smiling wickedly. I raised my eyebrow, but, suddenly, it hit me.

I chuckled darkly. "Hino Yamoto, huh? I wonder what I should do to him."

Yuki smirked. "If you need any help, Tou-san, you can always ask me." He said, holding up Aoi's cell phone. "She forgot to delete two things; a certain Yamoto-kun's address and a certain Kyoya-kun's phone number."

I grumbled. "I don't like him but in this case he could be useful."

"Speaking from experience?" Yuki asked, curiously

I nodded grudgingly. "Fuwa was useful during the stalker incident, but he's still a pain in the ass."

"So, how are you going to make up with Kaa-san? She's really mad at you. Last time I saw her this mad was when Mauvais tried put cayenne pepper into her beef stroganoff. You should have seen Kaa-san she was about two seconds from strangling Mauvais when Mignon-san stepped in. I got back at Mauvais by putting snakes in her apron. I got a nice hot coal aimed at my face when she found out it was me." He shuddered at the memory. "I've lost track of the scars. Most are in places you can't see or have faded. The worst would have to be the one I got from Benoît Ambler, total bastard. He was always hitting on Kaa-san and treated me like a dog whenever she wasn't looking. He'd order me around and if I didn't do it he'd sneak me off while kaa-san was busy and he'd find some hot coals. It was right before I entered elementary school when he was kicked out of the kitchen. It he was still there when Kaa-san started teaching me martial arts he would've been in a hospital for months if not worse."

I ruffled his hair. "Well, if you every see him again make sure you call me. I owe him for flirting with Kyoko and for what he did to you."

Yuki smiled softly. "Sure thing, Tou-san."

_**Kyoko's POV**_

"So what if he knows you have a boyfriend? He won't hurt him and if he does I have a very nice trump card." I said, winking at Aoi.

"But if he finds out I was staying at his apartment who knows what he'll do to Yamoto-kun?!"

I hugged her reassuringly. "It will be fine, Aoi. He has no idea where Hino-kun lives so there are no worries." She sighed with relief before freezing entirely. She hurriedly checked her pockets and her purse, then turned to me with a horrified expression.

"Kaa-san, I don't have my phone. I had my phone when we left the police station. Kaa-san this is bad."

"Why is it bad? It's just a cell phone."

She shook her head growing more terrified by the second. "Yamoto-kun's _address_ is in there, Kaa-san."

I stopped walking and turned to look at the boys. "Yuki!" He stopped talking with Kuon, glanced at me and sighed. Yuki said something to Kuon and jogged over to where I had stopped.

"Yeah, Kaa-san?" He asked.

I held out my hand. "Aoi's phone, now." He immediately produced it and put it in my waiting hand. "Give me the piece of paper too, Yuki."

He looked at me innocently. "What piece of paper?"

"I can see why you want to go into acting. You seem to have a natural talent for it. Now, hand over the piece of paper that has Hino-kun's address and he-who-shall-not-be-named's phone number." He grumbled but pulled it out of his jacket and put it in my hand. "Now, go get the other copy from Kuon and bring it to me."

Yuki hit his forehead with his palm. "I knew I was forgetting something."

I rolled my eyes. "I know it exists, Yuki. Now, go get it and bring it to me." He grumbled and trudged off to Kuon. After a few minutes of chatting and a glare from Kuon directed at me, Yuki came back, a piece of paper in his hand. He reluctantly handed it to me.

"How the heck did you know?"

I shrugged. "Demons are good for more than just sneak attacks."

Yuki's jaw dropped. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?! I would've actually tried to learn to control my demons!"

"Unless you have the emotions and patience for it, trying to learn is useless. Now go annoy you're otou-san." Yuki was baffled by my order.

"Why the hel—heck would you want me to annoy Tou-san?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Do I need to say why I ordered you to do something?"

"Yes, you do. Because why depends on how hard I try and I think I deserve to know why I have to do something."

I sighed. "Fine, don't annoy your otou-san. Aoi, do you think you can?"

She raised an eyebrow and nodded cautiously. "Yes, why?"

"Yuki, shoo. Go talk with Kuon or something just get out of hearing rang."

He narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"Because we're going to talk about woman things. Now shoo." At the mention of "woman things" Yuki took off to where Kuon was waiting. I snickered.

"Kaa-san, what do you mean by 'woman things'?" Aoi asked cautiously.

I laughed. "That was just to make Yuki go away. He grew up around woman so he knows what 'woman things' are and tries to avoid the topic as much as possible."

Aoi giggled. "So why am I going to annoy Tou-san?"

"Hino-kun's address and he-who-shall-not-be-named's number is still fresh in his mind. If we distract him enough he might forget all or part of that information."

Aoi hugged me. "This is why you're the best kaa-san in the world." She bounced up over to Kuon and Yuki to start annoying them. I smiled softly and started walking again. I glanced at the cell phone in my hand and glanced back at Aoi. She was preoccupied with annoying Kuon. I pulled out my own phone and opened both. I opened Aoi's contact list and scrolled down to Kyoya-kun's name. I added his number to my contacts and deleted his number from Aoi's phone. Once she got her phone back she would have done it anyway so why not get rid of it now when people were snooping? I closed the phones and put them in my purse. Kyoya-kun could be very helpful if Aoi was in trouble. The poor boy was still in love her.

"So are you so mad at me you have to have one of the kids annoy me?" Kuon asked walking beside me.

I shrugged. "I would do it myself but you might turn it back on me so I sent Aoi."

He raised an eyebrow. "So it had absolutely nothing to do with a certain Yamoto-kun's address and a certain beagle's son's number?"

"What number and what address?" I asked, pretending to be clueless.

Kuon rolled his eyes. "Kyoko, I'm serious here. Was Aoi staying with her boyfriend before you moved her to the president's mansion?"

I glared at him. "Kuon, I took care of it. By looking for Hino-kun's address you're saying that you either don't trust me or you don't think I did a good enough job."

"Neither is true. I just want to check the guy out that's all." He lied.

I stopped and jabbed a finger into his chest. "This is why I don't trust you anymore. You're lying to me and you feel no guilt or regret for it. When you learn to tell me the true no matter what it is I might think about staying but right now I'm already think about which plane to take back to Paris."

Kuon grasped my hand and pulled it away from his chest. "So now wouldn't be a good time to propose a trip to Kyoto this weekend for the kids to see where you grew up?" He asked ever so innocently. I could feel my eyebrow twitching.

"I have no objections, but is this really the best time to ask?"

"So talking about a trip to the States is also out of the question?"

I could feel my hands curl into fist and punching him at that moment sound like an excellent idea.

"Why would we go to the US?" I asked sweetly.

He winced slightly. "Well, the president called earlier and said he found your otou-san."

I stared at him slack jawed. "And how does he know my otou-san?"

He smiled sheepishly. "Well…"


	31. Chapter 30

_**Kuon's POV**_

I sighed, walking into the Ryoukan. Kyoko had been mad the entire flight not to mention the taxi ride from the airport. If there weren't witnesses I would be worried of dying, and Kyoko's demons' evil cackling didn't help. Yuki and Aoi were having a coughing fit behind us. I scowled at them over my shoulder.

"Aoi, you're very lucky I don't have Hino's address. And Yuki unless you want me to start playing cupid between you and Hime be quiet." They stopped laughing and glared at me.

"It's not our fault Kaa-san is mad at you. You're the one who didn't trust her and kept secrets." Aoi hissed.

I smiled at her. "I was asked by the president not to tell her about her otou-san, and I do trust her." I stalked up to the front desk and checked in. We'd booked two rooms with two beds in each. Kyoko and Aoi were sharing a room and I was sharing with Yuki. I handed Yuki, Aoi and Kyoko each a room key.

"Okay, so dinner's at five so you're all free to do anything _legal_ until then," I said. Yuki grumbled a little but nodded along with Aoi. We started hauling our luggage to the rooms. Thank God, we were on the first floor. Six suitcases of luggage were more than enough to lug around without stairs. After depositing the luggage in the rooms Yuki and Aoi disappeared to explore the local forest.

"Kyoko, would you please accompany me on a walk?" I asked before she could go off to who knows where.

Kyoko narrowed her eyes. "Why?" She asked, suspicious.

"Just please say yes." I pleaded.

She sighed. "Fine, but I don't see the point."

"You'll see soon enough." I said taking her hand. Kyoko glared at me and jerked her hand out of my grasp. She stuck her hands in her jean's pockets so I couldn't hold them. Not the best way to start off. I led her out of the Ryoukan towards the forest. One of the reasons I picked that Ryoukan was because of how close it was to a path that lead to the river where Kyoko and I first met. As we came to the head of the path Kyoko paused.

"Why are you taking me to the place where we first met?" She asked, still suspicious.

"You'll see." I said starting down the path. Kyoko hesitated for a moment but followed me mutely. I took a deep breath as we neared the river. I had one chance and the success rate was looking slimmer by the minute. As we emerged from the trees Kyoko gasped at the sight before her. The place we first met hadn't changed a bit. The river was still crystal clear, the trees still lush and green, and the banks covered in light grey rocks. She smiled and walked over to the river while I stayed at the end of the path. She placed her hand in the water and let the cool liquid flow through her fingers. She smiled softly, stood up, and turned to me.

"Why did you bring me here, Kuon?" She asked twirling around to take in the whole scene. I smiled, walking toward her. When I got within two feet of her I dropped down to one knee and produce a velvet box out of my pocket.

"Mogami Kyoko, will you marry me?" She froze for a moment before her face broke into a beautiful tender smile as she flung herself at me.

"Of course I will, Kuon!" Kyoko said kissing me. I chuckled, tucking away the box. I scooped Kyoko into my arms and kissed her back.

"Finally!" Four people shouted behind us. We froze and slowly pulled part to see our four little eavesdroppers. Aoi, Yuki, the president, and Yashiro were in the bushes on the opposite bank. I smiled at them.

"Did you enjoy the show?" I asked them. Yashiro bolted into the woods probably towards a populated area. The rest just chuckled.

"Yuki, would you please go after Yashiro-san and bring him back here?" Kyoko asked him from my arms. He smirked, nodded and set off on his task. The president rolled his eyes.

"Was that necessary, Kyoko-chan?" The president asked a small smile on his face.

She shrugged. "It felt like it to me. Don't you agree, Kuon?" She asked me, smirking. I smiled and pulled her in a little closer.

"She's right, President. I warned him not to come so I owe him what I promised." He chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"Well, looks like Kanae-san, Hime-chan and I are going to need dresses. Tou-san and Yuki need tuxes. You'll need a dress, Kaa-san. I doubt you have a wedding dress stashed away somewhere."

Kyoko nodded. "Yes, I know, Aoi. But first we're going on a trip to the United States of America."

Aoi looked at us blankly. "Are we going to visit Julie baa-chan or something?"

I chuckled and shook my head. "We're going to find Kyoko's otou-san. He's in LA if the president's information is correct."

Said man grinned. "Oh, it is. I actually got a hold of Ryuuya before I called you and told him two of my actors would be visiting him sometime. I didn't mention anything about his daughter, his future son-in-law, and two of his grandkids coming though."

I raised an eyebrow. "He has other children?"

The president nodded. "Yes, he married a widow two years after he arrived in the States it seems. She had two boys, twins, Kyoko's age and five years into their marriage Ryuuya's wife gave birth to a little girl. Talk about a full house."

I smiled up at Kyoko. "Looks like you have a family now."

She laughed. "I've had a family for a long time." She said kissing me softly.

I chuckled. "I meant a real family."

Kyoko rolled her eyes. "I've had one of those too. What else would I call Aoi and Yuki?"

I smiled. "You have a point. And pretty soon we'll have our own little family."

Kyoko raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean little? Yuki's almost as tall as you are."

I repressed a laughed. "I guess our family is a little taller and shorter than a usual family."

Kyoko rolled her eyes. "So do I get the ring or are you going to hang onto that until the wedding day?"

_**Kyoko's POV**_

Kuon rolled his eyes, setting me down. I pouted inwardly at the loss of touch as he dug in his pants for the ring. Kuon frowned as he began checking his other pockets.

"Is something wrong, Kuon?" I asked, a bit impatient. He put the ring box in one of his pockets so he couldn't have lost it. "Aoi." I said sternly, glancing towards the opposite bank. Aoi smiled sheepishly, holding up the ring box.

"I wanted to see the ring and I got a little impatient." She said, giving the box to one of her demons. Her demon floated cautiously across the river and delivered the ring box into my waiting hand.

"Thank you." I said, patting the demon on the head gently. The demon smiled and floated happily back to Aoi. I glanced at Kuon. He was looking a little too calm. "You're not going to ask?"

Kuon raised an eyebrow. "Why would I ask?"

"Because the ring box just floated here from the other side of the river."

He laughed. "Aoi's demon brought it over the river, Kyoko. It didn't just fly over on its own."

I blushed. I had forgotten he could see the demons. He opened the box and pulled out a gold ring with a diamond surrounded by a ring of blue-purple stone.

"You framed the diamond with a ring of Corn?" I asked delightfully surprised.

Kuon smiled. "I wanted you to always have a piece of me with you."

I giggled. "How many years ago did you give me that stone?"

"Thirty years this summer. Can you believe it's been that long?" He asked, slipping the ring onto my left ring finger.

"It has been a long time, but I haven't ever regretted a minute of it." I said kissing him lightly.

"Oi, where do you want him?" Yuki called coming out of the woods, holding Yashiro by the collar. I bit my lip to keep of laugh. Kuon was doing the same thing.

"Just set him down on that side and make sure he doesn't go anywhere." Kuon said tugging off his shoes and socks. I yelped as Kuon picked me up.

"What are you going to do?" I asked as he started walking towards the river.

"I'm crossing the river with you in my arms."

I chuckled. "You always were a show off." He shrugged wading into the stream. "You're pants are going to get wet." I pointed out as the water lapped at his legs.

Kuon shrugged. "If I set you down to rolled up my pant legs you would wade across on your own and what would be the fun of that?"

I scowled at him playfully. "You are also one of the most possessive men I've ever met."

Kuon laughed. "And you are one of the most stubborn women I have ever met."

I puffed out my chest. "And I am proud of that fact."

There were laughs on the other bank. I scowled at them as Kuon waded out of the river. I wriggled in his arms so he would put me down. He grunt unhappily and set me down.

"This is why I say you're stubborn. You always get what you want and will do anything to get it, well, almost anything."

I shrugged. "I don't like being held without my permission."

Kuon rolled his eyes, and walked over to Yashiro. "So was the show worth it, Yashiro?" He asked. Yashiro took of his glasses and handed them to the president.

"Yes, it was worth it, and you will be paying for my hospital bills and Kyoko will be your temporary manager while I'm recovering."

Kuon smirked. "I wouldn't mind one bit. She is my fiancée you know."

Yashiro laughed. "That's why I'm in this predicament. Well, whenever you're ready." He said, closing his eyes and clenching his teeth.

Kuon smirked softly and patted Yashiro on the back. "I'll forgive you this time, because she said yes but if she had said no you would've gotten that beating."

Yashiro sighed with relief. "And I thought I was going to die for a second."

"Oi! I have self control." He huffed.

I chuckled. "It depends on who it is and what they did. If you were Fuwa Sho you probably would be dead. But since you're a candidate for best man Kuon wouldn't have broken any bones and bruises would be minimal since we don't have a wedding date yet. Do we?" I asked turning to the president.

He chuckled. "No, I'm going to get your and Kuon's opinion before I plan your wedding. It is a couple's special day." He added winking at me.

I smiled gently and hugged him. "You're always like an otou-san to me."

The president chuckled. "Well, I am you godfather."

I pulled back. "What?"

He smiled. "When you were born Ryuuya, your otou-san, made me your godfather because he knew I would take care of you like my own if anything happened to him and Saena. He was a friend and one of my actors."

I frowned at him. "Why didn't you say anything earlier?" I asked, pouting slightly.

"Because I didn't know until the day Kuon told me your okaa-san, Himeji Saena, wanted you dead. Ryuuya and I thought you died right after the divorce."

I growled. "My life's been miserable just because of that woman!"

Kuon chuckled. "It's good to know you don't think of her as a mother anymore."

* * *

Okay, the next chapter might be a while because I'm kind of at a road block for the plot. I'll upload it as soon as I can but with school for three more days and I'm going to be pretty much gone on Friday because I'm having a tooth puled so updating will be slow for a couple days. ~Mangawolfgirl96


	32. Chapter 31

_**Kuon's POV**_

I was awoken by a shrill screech. My eyes flew open, and I tried to get out of the bed. I caught my foot on the sheets and landed face first on the floor.

"FUWA SHOTARU, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!" Came another shrill screech.

"Ah, damn_**,**_" I grumbled, untangling the sheets and trudging over to my suitcase. I pulled out a black t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans, and changed out of my pajamas. Yuki growled, half-asleep, and climbed out of bed. He trudged out the door to find the source of the screeching. I followed him, knowing nothing good could come from a half awake Yuki.

After round the corner to the lobby we caught sight of an older woman with graying black hair fussing over what appear to be a man in a wheelchair. It was hard to tell with all the bandages, casts, and slings.

"Dang, so this is Fuwa's family's Ryoukan. I was hoping it wasn't," I muttered.

"Oi, Fuwa, is that you?" Yuki asked, straining his eyes.

Fuwa whipped his bandaged head around and his eyes grew wider than saucers, seeing us. The woman, Fuwa-san, looked between her son and me, confused.

"Do you know these two, Sho?" she asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. What happened to Kyoko? Did she go back to Paris already without bastard junior?" Fuwa asked, snidely.

I smiled gentlemanly at him. "No, Kyoko is here with us. She's in a separate room than Yuki and I. And I would prefer if you did not refer to my fiancée so familiarly." I added, smirking.

Fuwa gaped at me in disbelief. "She agreed to marry _you_?"

I was about to reply when Aoi came stomping around the corner.

"Whoever the hell is being loud, will you shut up? Some people are still trying to sleep," she said, groggily. Aoi glanced at Yuki and me, then at Fuwa. "I'll get Kaa-san. She probably wants to give Fuwa a piece of her mind," She said, heading back towards their room. Fuwa was gaping after her.

"Isn't she just like Kyoko?" I asked, smirking broadly.

"Kuon!" Kyoko yelled, stomping around the corner. "Aoi said you were talking to Sho, and I want to know why the hell he isn't in the hospital when you said three months." She stopped right in front of me, wagging a finger in my face.

"Well, he's in a wheelchair and has plenty of bandages. My estimations aren't always perfect, you know," I pointed out.

Fuwa-san was staring at Kyoko wide eyed. "Kyoko-chan?"

Kyoko just seemed to notice her. "Fuwa oba-san, it's been a while," she said, bowing.

Fuwa-san smiled softly. "It has. Now what is this about Sho being in the hospital?"

Kyoko bit her lip and glanced at me nervously. "Well, there was a slight disagreement in Paris. My son, Yuki, and my fiancé, Kuon, took it upon themselves to sort out a problem with a statement of Sho's."

It was vague but correct. She pointed out that Fuwa had started the "disagreement" and that Yuki and I had finished it. Though, Kyoko was making it sound much too civil.

Fuwa-san frowned at her son. "By sort out the problem you mean they beat him?"

Kyoko winced. "I was tending to other matters at the moment and Kuon's otou-san is not on the best of terms with Sho so there was no one to stop them."

Fuwa-san looked sternly at her son. "What did you do, Shotaru?" she asked with icy authority.

He looked up at her with wide innocent eyes. "I didn't do anything, Okaa-san."

Kyoko snorted. "Sure you didn't."

Fuwa-san sighed. "What did he do, Kyoko-chan?"

"Chronological or alphabetical order?" she asked, smilingly sweetly.

Fuwa-san glared at Fuwa. "I think you have something to explain, Shotaru."

Fuwa put on his best little angel face. "But he started it," he whined.

I raised an eyebrow. "How so? Was I the one who got Kyoko to enter showbiz? Was I the one who threw her away? Was I the one who made her swear to never love again? Was I the one who kept chasing her after I threw her away?" I asked Fuwa, annoyed at his little angel routine.

Fuwa-san wide eyed turned to her son. "You did all that to Kyoko-chan?!"

He winced, whether it was from his mother's scolding or for his injuries I never knew.

"And much more." I added, smiling ear-to-ear. Fuwa-san was the image of icy fury. Her eyes burned with still flames of pure anger, her hands gripping the handles of Fuwa's wheelchair firmly.

"I think we need to have a talk with you otou-san later, Shotaru, and you will tell us all of the things you've done to Kyoko-chan, and Kuon-san."

"But Kaa-san—" Fuwa whined. Fuwa-san held up a hand indicating silence.

"Shotaru, I've heard enough of your whining. You will not argue will me. Your otou-san is very busy so we will talk after lunch. You have until then to go over what you are going to tell your otou-san and I."

Fuwa gulped and was looking quite frighten. I should have thought of ratting him out to his parents sooner. Kyoko was smiling happily, watching Fuwa scared out of his wits as his okaa-san wheeled him away.

"So was that worth losing a little sleep?" I asked, chuckling.

"Hell yeah," she replied, heading back to her room. I had no idea why I hadn't notice shed was still in her nightgown. In the right light it was see-through and stopped mid thigh; my kind of nightgown exactly.

Yuki chuckled. "Looks like we're going to need to find a house sometime before the wedding."

I nodded. "Yes, I was looking through the listings the other day but I haven't been able to find more time to look through them."

He smiled a mischievous glint in his eyes. "That's what family's for."

_**Kyoko's POV**_

It had been years since I'd seen Sho that scared. Sho's parents' had always been his weakness. Instead of trying to convince his parents to let him enter showbiz he just ran away. He was scared of facing their wrath. The Fuwas always held me in high respect for what I had gone through with that woman. Hearing that Sho did something as horrible as breaking my heart would anger them greatly.

I hummed happily, pulling out a red tank top and a pair of white shorts.

Aoi stared at me, confused. "Didn't you just talk to Fuwa?"

I nodded, smiling broadly. "Yep, and his okaa-san is going to scold him 'til his ears bleed along with his otou-san."

She laughed. "His parents like you too, huh?"

I smiled softly. "Yes, I was like a daughter to them. I practically lived here too. Whenever my okaa-san would go on a business trip, which was quite often, I was thrust onto the Fuwas. They were friends of my otou-san once upon a time so they welcomed me with open arms."

Aoi smiled. "Well, that's a good thing. It gives the Fuwas more reason to scold their son."

I chuckled. "So was yesterday a planned event on your part or was that a coincidence?" I asked, my lie detector demon observing her.

"Well, Yuki and I were exploring the forest when we stumbled upon Takarada-san and Yashiro-san. They invited us to watch Tou-san propose with them."

"And you actually agreed to join them?"

Aoi shrugged. "I wanted a picture of the moment so I could tease you two. Do you know how fun it is to tease someone and not worry about what will happen when you get home?"

I chuckled. "I do understand. Why do you think I do it to Yuki? And with how easily he gets flustered it's really fun to tease him about his love life. Now, I want a copy of that picture."

Aoi pouted. "But I want to be the only blackmailing him," she whined softly.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not going to blackmail him with it…yet. But it's still a special moment for me."

Aoi nodded grudgingly. "Okay, when I get the film developed I'll ask for two copies of that picture."

I smiled and hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Aoi! Now, you are going to hide that camera."

"Why?" She asked cautiously.

"Because I don't want Kuon to find it and dispose of it."

A light of understanding dawned in her eyes. "Okay," she said, digging the camera out of her suitcase. Aoi grinned impishly, making her way to my suitcase.

"Aoi, what do you think you're doing?" I asked her, praying she wasn't doing what I thought she was.

She looked at me innocently. "You said to hide the camera and I thought this would be the last place Tou-san would look."

I just shook my head as she tucked the camera under a white lacy bra.

"If your otou-san finds that camera he is going to be sleeping on the couch when we get back to his apartment."

Aoi grinned. "So I get the guest room all to myself?"

"That or you can share Kuon's room with me and Yuki can have the guest room."

She wrinkled her nose at the idea. "Tou-san or Yuki can sleep on the floor while the other has the couch."

I laughed. "I presume neither has stricken your fancy?"

"What Shakespeare play did you get _that_ out of?" She asked, trying to hold back laughter.

I giggled. "I didn't get it from a Shakespearian play, but I did perform in Romeo and Juliet once."

Aoi smiled sadly. "Really? My class did Romeo and Juliet for the school festival last year," she said forlornly.

"I take it you didn't participate?"

"I participated alright; I was the frickin' narrator," she said sulkily.

I laughed. "Well, at least you didn't get Yuki's part in Romeo and Juliet."

Aoi was suddenly very interested in the topic. "What part did he get?"

"Let's just say Yuki was the practice dummy for CPR."

"I demand copies." She stated, grinning devilishly.

"Sorry, Hon. He burned all of them." I picked up my purse and pulled out a small photo album.

"What's that?" Aoi asked curiously.

"My blackmail book."

Aoi could hardly keep a smile off her face "Can I have copy of those pictures instead?"

I smiled. "Sure, I have to make copies for Hime-chan sometime too so it won't be too much trouble."

She smiled impishly. "I can't wait until school starts."

"You'll regret saying that, Aoi."

She began to look frightened. "Why?"

I flipped through the pages of the photo album and handed it to Aoi when I found the picture I was looking for.

"Is this photoshopped?" Aoi asked, looking up from the album.

"Nope, I was just lucky enough to get a picture. When I get my things shipped over from Paris I'll show you the video version."

"Kaa-san, you better not be talking about that little black book of yours!" Yuki yelled from down the hall.

"There must be some good pictures in here." Aoi said, looking at the album in a slightly different light.

"Yes, and every one of those photos are priceless. I put two of those on eBay and in five hours I had sold it for over 10,000 yen."

Aoi smiled calculatingly, turning over the album in her hand.

"Don't even think about it." I said, taking the album from her. "This is for me to blackmail your brother and if the whole world has these pictures then it's meaningless."

Aoi pouted. "Fine, now how did that picture happen?"

I chuckled. "That is a story for another time, Aoi. It's rather long, too."


	33. Chapter 32

Sorry it took so long to get this chapter done. I'll try to get the next one done by Sunday, my B-day by the way.

Please enjoy. ~ Mangawolfgirl96

_**

* * *

Kuon's POV**_

_~On a plane to America~_

"I forgot to ask earlier, but how is your English?" I asked Yuki and Aoi.

"Obaa-sama dragged me on so many business trips with her to America I lost count, and the businessmen! They flirt with anything that's female and mildly attractive," Aoi said, disgusted.

"English is mandatory in French schools, and Kaa-san started teaching me English after I finished learning Japanese, so I'm pretty fluent," Yuki said, shrugging.

"So language isn't a problem. But you two are going to have to keep your heads down. Even though Dark Moon ended years ago it's still very popular especially in the States, so you two might be mistaken for Kyoko and me. And Yuki? Try to stay away from the American gangs."

He gave me a deadpan look. "This is about the murder cases right?"

I stared at him speechless as Kyoko whipped her head around to look at Yuki.

"I burned those! How the hell do you know about them?!"

I glanced at Kyoko. "What is this about murder cases, Kyoko?"

She winced. "Shortly after that woman left with Aoi, packages started showing up. One had five murder case files in it. You were listed as a prime suspect in all of them."

"You knew all this, yet you agreed to _marry_ me?" I asked, stunned beyond belief.

Kyoko rolled her eyes. "You had a rough childhood but you put that behind you and strove to surpass your father, the source of your angst. I also had to deal with Yuki."

"Oi! I'm not that much of a pain," Yuki protested.

She raised her eyebrow. "Oh? Then why have I taken money out of your bank account to pay for the carpet cleaning? Do you know how hard it is to get blood out of those carpets?"

I chuckled. "It's actually not that hard if you know what you're doing. A great way is to use—"

"Don't you dare tell him anything like that, Kuon. Sho is still my childhood friend and his parents were my otou-san's friends."

I looked at her innocently. "When did I say Yuki could use it whe—if he killed Fuwa?"

"It was implied, Kuon. Who else would he want to kill?" She asked.

We shrugged.

"It's not my fault Fuwa's the only one who pissed him off enough to get on his hit list."

"Well, he's not the only one, but he's at the top of my hit list."

Kyoko narrowed her eyes at Yuki. "Who else is on your hit list?" She demanded.

"Se-cr-et," He said touching a finger to his lips. Kyoko shivered at the image.

"Yuki, _that_ is reserved for _woman_. Doing that gives of the impression of being _gay_," Aoi said, embarrassed by her brother's actions.

Yuki shrugged. "Like I care what other people think of me."

"So you don't care if Hime-chan thinks you're gay?" Kyoko asked him.

Yuki blushed. "Okay, what _most_ people think of me," He amended.

"Now, who else is on your hit list, Yuki?" She demanded.

"You're not going to believe me," He muttered.

"Try me."

He sighed. "Benoît Ambler."

Kyoko frowned. "Why would he be on your hit list? He was a bit annoying but he always stepped in when someone was trying to press on coals into you."

I shot Yuki a questioning look. He just shook his head.

"You never believed me, Kaa-san. But all the things I told you about him are true."

She was suddenly on the verge of tears. "Oh my lord! I'm so sorry I didn't believe you," Kyoko said, trying to think of a way to make it up to Yuki.

"Kaa-san, I was six, and you knew what my attitude towards men was. I don't blame you for not believing me. I'm just telling you what I said was true."

Kyoko hugged Yuki from the seat next to him. "I'm so glad I have such a nice and forgiving son."

"Nice and forgiving my ass," I muttered quietly.

"What was that, Tou-san?" Yuki asked turning to smile at me.

I returned the smile. "Nothing important."

"You two are like dogs fighting over a bone," Aoi said, faintly amused.

"We're not dogs," we retorted simultaneously.

"And I am not a bone," Kyoko added, peeved.

"I never said you were, Kaa-san. I was using an analogy. Dogs represented Yuki and Tou-san and a bone represented your attention," She explained hurriedly.

Kyoko giggled. "I forgive you. After such a hasty apology, who wouldn't?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Aoi asked, uneasy.

"I think she was speaking rhetorically," I said, noticing Aoi's change in attitude. She had lived with that woman for 13 years. There was no way someone could live that long with her and not have some kind of emotional trauma.

Aoi smiled softly. "Oh, okay."

Kyoko hugged her tightly. "I'm glad that woman's behind bars."

I chuckled. "We're all glad she's behind bars, Kyoko. We all are."

"Yeah, Kaa-san. I doubt anyone, anywhere likes her anymore. Yuki added.

I ruffled his hair. "That's the kind of attitude we need."

Kyoko and Aoi smiled knowingly at each other. "I guess you're right,"

"How much do you want to bet this is something between emotional trauma victims?" Yuki asked me quietly.

"It does give off that kind of feeling, doesn't it?" I mumbled glancing at them.

"Or maybe it's a twin thing," Yuki suggested, chuckling. Kyoko and Aoi rolled their eyes, not amused by his joke.

"They could pull off being twins." I glanced at Yuki. "I don't think we could, though. You're too short," I said, ruffling his hair yet again.

He glared at me. "I'm not short. You're just a giant."

I smirked. "Just keep telling yourself that, son."

"You know? I'm beginning to understand why Kaa-san would want a picture in you in a pink tutu and matching ballet slippers," Yuki said, laughing quietly, no doubt picturing me in such.

"And how did Kyoko get you in a tutu and ballet slippers?"

"It wasn't Kaa-san. Aoi convinced me to put on one of her tutu, a pair of ballet slippers, a tiara and she made me a hold a wand," He grumbled.

I found it hard to keep a straight face with so many graphic mental images. "I take it Kyoko has pictures?"

"Yes, and I've found they're fire-resistant, water-resistant, tire-resistant, acid resistant and, let's not forget my favorite, dog-resistant," Yuki said with fake enthusiasm.

"I take it you did something to the pictures?" I asked Kyoko, a smirk tugging at my lips.

She shrugged. "I needed something funny and embarrassing to show my future daughter-in-law."

"You sound exactly like my mother."

Kyoko smiled. "Why, thank you."

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I was only slightly awake when we got off the plane. It was around four o'clock in the evening here but around midnight back in Japan.

"Curse you time difference," I mumbled groggily, grabbing my suitcase.

Aoi chuckled weakly. "You're not the only one, Kaa-san. I've gone back and forth between the States and Japan, but I can never get used to it."

"Oi, you guys aren't going to fall asleep, are you?" Yuki asked, perfectly awake.

I scowled at him. "You definitely inherited your father's adaptability, you little rat."

"Come on, Kyoko. You don't need to insult him. It's not his fault he can adapt to his surroundings," Kuon said impassively.

I growled softly. "Just tell me if you see our ride or not."

He chuckled, surveying the crowded. "Yep, she's here."

I frowned. "Who's picking us up?"

"You haven't met her yet. Ah, Yume," He called, waving to someone.

A petite blonde hair woman wearing dark sunglasses pushed her way through the crowd over to us.

"Well, I'll be damned. Onii-chan has finally got himself a girlfriend," Yume-san said smiling at me. "I hear wonderful thing about you from Tou-san and Kaa-san. I'm Sliverman Yume, Kuon's younger sister," she said extending a hand.

I smiled and shook her hand. "It's nice to meet, Yume-san. I'm Kyoko. And by the way I'm not Kuon's girlfriend," I added quietly.

Yume-san pouted. "I can't believe it. He finally gets a girlfriend and he can't even keep her."

Kuon rolled his eyes. "What Kyoko means is that we're engaged."

Yume-san's eyes sparkled dangerously. "Oh ho. Just wait until Otou-san gets word, Onii-chan."

I giggled. "Looks like we'll have another round of congratulations."

She frowned. "Someone's already congratulated you two?"

Aoi smirked. "Oh, yes. Yashiro-san and Takarada-san adamantly followed Kaa-san and Tou-san just to see him propose. Would you like a copy of the picture?" she asked a calculating glint in her eyes.

Yume-san smiled politely at Aoi. "No, thank you. It is a tempting offer but I'll probably be able to weasel it out of Onii-chan for free."

Yuki chuckled. "This is going to be fun. Ne, Yume ba-chan?"

"Oi, who are you calling an old lady?" Yume-san asked annoyed.

"He wasn't calling you old, Yume-san. He was addressing you as his aunt," I explained gently.

A smiled broke like dawn across her face. "You sly dog! Not even married yet you have two kids."

Kuon groaned softly. "Must I have this discuss with every member of the family?"

I shrugged. "What's going to be interesting is how you explain it to my father."

"Do you have to remind me about that?" he asked.

I smiled. "Of course! Otherwise who else's buttons am I going to push? After a while, Yuki's reactions get boring."

Kuon sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if I opened a Pandora box by helping you with your 'Natsu'."

"Oi, I'm nowhere near Natsu-like. If I was you wouldn't be the only one wanting to walk me down the aisle."

He gave me a slightly disappointed look. "I can name two off the top of my head, Kyoko. Neither are exactly discreet in their pursuit either," He added.

I frowned. "Really? I haven't noticed anyone acting like they want to ask me out or anything. Aside from some very egotistical teenagers."

Yume-san laughed. "I could see many men making quite a few passes at you. I bet you were a real campus sweet heart in middle school."

I laughed. "Not exactly. I was actually the main subject of bullying."

She frowned. "I can't image why such a beautiful and polite woman like you would be bullied."

I smiled. "I wasn't always how I am today."

"I don't think any of us are. Now, why don't we head back to my house? You two girls look like you're about to fall asleep any second," Yume-san said heading off towards the parking lot.

Aoi and I smiled. "That would be nice," We said following after her.

Yuki and Kuon rolled their eyes following behind us.

After a few minutes of searching Yume-san found the car she was looking for. It was a red SUV.

"Took you long enough," a brown haired man with stunning green eyes, whom I presumed to be Yume-san's husband, said out of the open car window.

"Sorry, John, it took me a while to find my brother," she said in English kissing him.

"So are you going to introduce us?" he asked, glancing at us.

Yume-san smiled. "Of course. Well, you know my brother from the movies you've seen. Next to him is his son. I haven't asked his name yet," she added.

"Yuki Mogami," Yuki supplied.

Yume-san looked at him blankly. "I should have guessed you all knew English."

I smiled softly. "It comes with the territory you might say. I'm Kyoko Mogami, and this," I said placing a hand on Aoi's shoulder. "Is my daughter, Aoi Mogami. After the wedding our last names will be Hizuri."

John-san smiled at Kuon. "Congrats, bro. I read your book. Quite deep for the devil himself."

Yume-san whacked him on the back of the head. "John, how many times have I told you not to call him that?! He had a rough time trying to get into the acting industry and he took out his frustration by fighting."

"She's right. Yuki's the same way; except he hasn't gone into acting yet. But lord knows how many fights he's been in," I said, sighing.

"If you think those two are trouble, wait until you meet the twins," Yume-san and John-san said, smirking softly.


	34. Chapter 33

_**Kuon's POV**_

I braced myself as Yume opened the front. In a flash, two unidentifiable blurs hurled out the door at lightning speed. I hadn't expected that said objects were aimed at Yuki. I'd finally found the perfect dummy target; my own 16 year old son.

As the objects hit Yuki, they slowed down enough to tell what exactly they were. Twin ten year old boys with light brown hair and grey eyes were on top of Yuki, who was sprawled on the door mat.

"You look weird, Uncle Kuon. Did you dye your hair while you were in Japan?" the older twin, Yuuta, asked.

Yuki glared me. "I take it these two are your sister's children?"

"Yep, little pair of devils, if you ask me. They're teachers love 'em, though," I added, smiling.

Yuuta and his younger brother, James, gazed up at me and then back down at their captive, frowning.

"Is this an Uncle Kuon clone?" James asked a little miffed.

Kyoko and Aoi giggled.

"No, my little devil nephews," I said squatting down to be at eye level. "This is Yuki, my son. He's five years older than you two."

They glanced at Yuki and then back at me, wide grins stretching across their faces. "You sly dog! You've finally gotten yourself laid!" they cheered. Everyone in the room stared at the little devils blankly, and then Yuki started laughing wildly.

"I think I'm starting to like these to," he managed in between bits of laughter.

Yume was absolutely horrified at her children's outburst; John was on his way to join Yuki, while Aoi and Kyoko stared at the two grinning boys.

I just shook my head. "Yume, I think your husband needs a lock on his DVD cabinet," I said, glancing at the two little imps.

"I think you're right," she muttered, scowling at her husband.

"Hey, I have no idea what you two are saying, but I didn't do anything wrong," John said, knowing nothing good came of his wife speaking Japanese. Unless she was teaching Yuuta and James, of course.

Kyoko turned to me with a slightly accusing look. "You have definitely been rubbing off on these two. The perverted nature is showing," she said in French, so the twins didn't have a chance of understanding.

Yume frowned. "If you're going to insult him, please do it in Japanese. That way, I can agree with you."

Kyoko smiled. "It would be my pleasure, but do you really want your sons learning that kind of language? From what I've heard so far, they're quite similar to Yuki at that age. He soaked up fool words from three languages like a sponge soaks up water," she added, shaking her head.

"Oi! It's not my fault you let me hang out with Jean and Jeanne all the time! Not to mention how many times you cursed when you cut your fingers," Yuki added, trying to push off the blame.

"Wait a minute. You mean the angel known as Mogami Kyoko swears violently?" I asked, trying to sound genuinely surprised.

She rolled her eyes. "Remember what happened when some idiot stagehand thought it would be funny to lock the beagle, Sho, you, and me in prop storage?"

I chuckled at the memory. "It was kind of funny watching Reino and Sho try to gang up on me. Now what was really funny was when you found that wooden bat. I thought Sho was going to die when I saw you sneak up behind him."

Kyoko shrugged. "I was getting a headache, and his ranting wasn't helping. I'm surprised the director was as calm as he was when he found us, though."

"Maybe it's because he was expecting to find at least two dead bodies," I said, grinning mischievously.

Yuki laughed. "You two have had some wild experiences."

Aoi nodded. "For once, I agree with this bumbling idiot."

"And you two haven't even heard about the Valentine's Day incident," I said cheerfully.

Kyoko groaned. "Kuon, that one's embarrassing enough without the whole world knowing. Do you have to tell them?" she asked, shooting me a puppy dog face.

"I guess not," I said, sighing. _**Damn male instincts.**_

Kyoko smiled brightly at my submission. "Okay, so that's settled. Why don't we go up to our rooms and unpack?"

Yume chuckled. "Sure, all of your rooms are on the second floor." She glanced at her husband. "John, take the girls' luggage and follow us up," she said heading to the staircase.

He grumbled, but silently took Kyoko's and Aoi's luggage. They smiled and followed after Yume. Yuki and I picked up our own luggage and headed up after them.

"Okay, Kyoko-san, this is your room. Aoi-chan's is right next to it. Onii-chan, your room is across from Kyoko-san's. Yuki-kun's yours is across from Aoi-chan's," Yume said, pointing out each person's room as she named them.

John grunted with a bit of effort, lifting up the suitcases over the thresh holds into Kyoko's and Aoi's rooms.

"What's in these? Lead?" he asked setting down Aoi's. She rolled her eyes.

"No, just clothes, shoes, Mom's has a camera and a small photo album, um, I think I have some study materials, a picture of my boyfriend, and a small video recorder. You never know when you can get something to put on the internet, Uncle John," Aoi added, smiling craftily.

John smirked. "Sounds like you got your father's cunning. From what I've seen it runs in the family," he said, winking at her. Yume hit him over the head with a wooden bat, which had been, conveniently, leaned against a small table.

"If you keep this up, John, you're going to be on the couch for a few months," Yume said, replacing the baseball bat. "Now, you can go down stairs and start cooking dinner."

John grumbled, trudging down the stairs towards the kitchen.

I couldn't help a snicker. "Looks like someone's whipped."

I didn't expect three people to hit me on the back of my head. "What was that for?" I asked, annoyed.

"Like you aren't whipped," they said, pinching my cheeks.

I scowled at them. "I am not whipped."

"Do you want the ring back, Kuon?" Kyoko asked slipping off her engagement ring.

I growled under my breath and murmured what she wanted to hear softly.

"What was that, Kuon?" she asked, twirling the ring in between her fingers.

"I'm whipped," I repeated louder.

Kyoko smiled and kissed me. "Now, was that so hard?"

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I cursed the sun as I climbed out of bed. Today we had a meeting with my father, and appearing half awake, when explaining you're not dead, isn't going to convince anyone.

I walked over to my open suitcase and pulled out a white, short sleeved, button-up blouse and a pair of khaki slacks. I glanced in the mirror and frowned; my hair was a total mess. I grabbed a brush from my suitcase, and started to tame the jungle that was my hair. I grabbed a hair band and pulled my hair back into a pony tail. I gazed at myself in the mirror of a few moments. After that woman was arrested, I'd left my hair blonde. Since I was going to go back into acting, I had been contemplating whether or not to return my hair to its natural color. My inner debate was interrupted by a knock on my door.

"Kyoko, are you almost ready? If we don't leave soon, we'll be late for our appointment with your father," Kuon said from the hall.

"I'll be out in a moment," I said, digging a pair of white flats out of my suitcase. I slipped on the shoes and grabbed my purse. I opened the door and Kuon smiled. He was wearing a blue t-shirt, white shorts, and a pair of grey sandals.

"You look great. Now, we shall head off into uncharted waters," he said dramatically.

I laughed. "It's just explaining to my father that I did not, in fact, die 34 years ago."

"And you think he'll believe you?" Kuon asked, heading for the stairs.

I shrugged, following him. "He might, he might not. I have some undeniable proof that I'm his daughter," I added, skipping the last step on the stairs.

"And what would that be?" Kuon asked curiously, opening the door to the garage.

I smiled. "I didn't get my eyes from that woman."

He chuckled, grabbing a set of keys off the rack. "No, you didn't."

He walked up to the red SUV Yume-san picked us up in, and unlocked it. "Come on. Even if there's good traffic, we'll still be a few minutes late."

I rolled my eyes and climbed into the passenger seat. "I doubt he'll make a fuss if we're two minutes late, Kuon."

"You never know, Kyoko."

I shrugged, and glanced out the window. It felt like only a few minutes before we pulled up to my father's company, Star Maker, half an hour later.

I climbed out and surveyed the building. It was large but nowhere near as enormous as LME. Kuon held out a hat and a pair of sunglasses. I rolled my eyes, but put them on. I grasped his hand and started walking into the building. I was surprised when someone ran into me.

"Sorry," I said, stumbling back a step. A man with light brown hair and green eyes hadn't been looking where he was going, and ran into me.

The man glared at me. "Watch where you're going, little girl. What would happen if you'd injured me, Star Maker's big star, Embers?" he asked, smirking.

I glared at him. "FYI, I'm not a little girl. And so what if you're some big star in LA? My name is known through Asia and America," I said, smiling sweetly at 'Embers'.

Kuon squeezed my hand. "We don't have time for this, Kyoko," he said quietly in Japanese.

I shot the man one last glare, dragging Kuon towards the front desk. The receptionist, who saw my encounter with 'Embers', could hardly keep a smile off her face.

"How may I help you?" she asked.

"Hi, we have an appointment with President Mogami," I replied, trying to calm myself down.

"Oh! You must be Kyoko and Kuon! The president is expecting you. His office is on the fifth floor, third door on the right," she said, pointing out the elevator.

"Thanks for the help."

"No problem." The receptionist waved as we headed to the elevator. The ride up was quiet and calming. I was in a tremendously better mood as I stepped off on the fifth floor. I found the door to my father's office and knocked.

"Come in," came a jolly reply. I opened the door and walked in with Kuon beside me. A man in his late 50's with salt and pepper black hair, and amber eyes sat behind a mahogany desk. My father looked surprised to see us.

"You must be the actors Takarada mention. I sent an escort down. Did you see anyone waiting for you?" he asked, getting up from his chair.

I shook my head removing my hat and sunglasses. "We didn't see anyone. It's nice to meet you, Mogami-san," I said shaking his hand.

"It's nice to meet you as well, Kyoko-san. Please, call me, Ryuuya," he said, examining my eyes. "Interesting eye color. I didn't know anyone outside of the Mogami line had them," he murmured.

I smiled softly. "I don't think so either."

He frowned, confused by my statement.

Kuon sighed. "I think you were a not very clear, Kyoko."

I rolled my eyes. "What was I supposed to say? 'Hi, I'm your daughter. My mother lied to you when she said I was dead'?" I asked him, annoyed at his comment.

"Hold up. What's this about being my daughter?" my father asked, greatly confused.

I smiled shyly. "Saena lied when she said I died. She always told me you were dead, too."

I gained a small bit of respect for my father when he didn't faint.

"Saena lied? But she hated Kyoko. She wanted a son but she got a daughter instead. She was furious," he said, examining me. "Are you sure you're really my daughter?"

I smirked. "I'm your daughter or my name's not Mogami Kyoko. I'll tell you a little secret, though. I'm going to be a Hizuri soon."

Dad laughed. "Of course, right after I finally see my little girl again, she tells me she's getting married." He turned to Kuon. "You better treat her nicely or you're going to face some nasty consequences."

Kuon gave him a deadpan look. "You're the third person to say that, Ryuuya-san. One of those people is your very own 15 year old grandson."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do I want to know?" he asked.

"It involved too much alcohol and a lot of passion," I told him bluntly.

Dad sighed. "Well, at least I have some grandchildren that are flesh and blood. Helen, your half-sister, just turned 26 this year, and isn't even thinking about marriage. She wants to focus on becoming an actor."

I chuckled. "Seems like acting runs in the blood."


	35. Chapter 34

Sorry it took me so long to update. Please enjoy~Mangawolfgirl96  
_**

* * *

Kuon's POV**_

I was surprised that Ryuuya-san was taking the news, that his daughter was still alive, so well.

"Ah, I should probably get someone to send Embers up," Ryuuya-san said out of nowhere.

"Was he the one who was supposed to be our escort?" Kyoko asked, trying not to smile sweetly.

"Yes, he was," he answered cautiously.

I sighed. "You may not want to bring him up her. He literally ran into Kyoko. It would have been fine if he had apologized, though," I added brightly.

Ryuuya-san winced. "Embers doesn't do well with accepting blame and apologizing. I'll make sure to have a talk with him. Now, why wouldn't it be a good idea to have him up her? I mean, it's not like Kyoko could kill him with the two of us restraining her. Right?" he asked, nervously.

"Honestly? If she really wanted him dead, there's nothing we can do. But we could always take a gamble on her self-control."

"And how much would you bet she wouldn't kill him on sight?" he asked.

I shrugged. "My engagement, but I wouldn't say anything about a few broken bones, or a few seconds of strangulation. Not enough to kill him, of course," I added.

Ryuuya-san paused, becoming thoughtful. "Maybe I should bring him up here. That boy needs to learn to respect others, and I think releasing Kyoko on him would do wonders."

"Can you two stop talking like I'm some sort of demon? And who says I would do something like that? I have quite a bit of self-control," Kyoko added, incensed.

"I don't think Fuwa would agree with that, Kyoko," I said, chuckling as I remembered all the times Kyoko had done something to Fuwa.

She pouted. "He deserved all I gave him. And what he did was worse than not apologizing," she pointed out.

I shrugged. "Good point. But I want to see his face when he finds out you're his boss's daughter."

Kyoko smiled impishly. "That does sound like fun."

Ryuuya-san laughed. "I'll get the receptionist to send him up," he said, walking over to his desk.

"How bad are you going to scare him?" I asked Kyoko.

She shrugged. "Maybe a few punches, his feet suddenly going out from under him. The basics really, not like the stuff I did to Sho."

I grinned. "What do you think he'll choose? Insanity, ghosts or overactive imagination?" I asked her.

Kyoko pursed her lips. "I would say insanity or overactive imagination. 'Embers' seemed pretty down to earth, so he would try to find a rational explanation."

"But the real reason is far from rational."

"Embers should be up soon," Ryuuya-san informed us.

I grinned expectantly. "You may have to check him into a psychiatric hospital after this, Ryuuya-san. When Kyoko's involved, nothing is done halfheartedly."

She rolled her eyes, smiling softly. "A good woman never leaves her job half-done."

I smiled softly, patting her left hand. I leaned in to kiss her but stopped when the door creaked open. I sighed quietly and turned to face Embers. I hadn't gotten a good look at him earlier, since I was in a hurry. Without his hat on, you could see he was actually quite handsome. His eyes were a captivating green and his hair a soft brown color.

I glanced at Kyoko, and noticed she was gaping at him.

"Benoît?" she asked, slowly.

Embers looked at her blankly. "Yes, that's me. How did you know?"

Kyoko smiled sweetly. "Ah, I'm hurt. I thought you would recognize me. How many years has it been? I think nine. Mr. Mignon kicked you out right before Yuki entered elementary school."

Realization slowly crossed his face, as I pieced together the bit of information.

"This is the Benoît Ambler, Yuki was talking about?" I asked, surprised. Such a small world to seek revenge in.

"Yes," Kyoko said, turning to Ryuuya-san.

"How much would you mind a sudden victim of strangulation, but the killer was invisible?" she asked him. She asked it so innocently it was hard not to laugh.

"Kyoko, is that you? Wow, I haven't seen you since Pairs. What are you doing here?" Ambler asked, oblivious to Kyoko's question.

I couldn't help a very gentlemanly smile. "She's here to see her father. I don't believe we've been introduce. I'm Kuon Hizuri," I said, extending my hand in a 'friendly' gesture.

"Kuon, what do you think you're doing?" Kyoko asked, impassively.

I retracted my hand. "Sorry, didn't think you wanted him all to yourself."

"Oh, don't worry, you can have him after I'm done," she said, her demons cackling.

Ambler frowned. "You two seem close," he commented, giving me a quick once over. He snorted quietly, obviously, unimpressed by what he saw.

"That's a reasonable thing. We are engaged," Kyoko said, holding up her left hand. The diamond gleamed brilliantly in the light.

"Congratulations. How did Yuki take the news? Or does he know?" Ambler asked, grasping for his last sparks of hope.

"Oh, Yuki knows perfectly well. He was even there when I proposed," I added, letting my smile slip enough for a small glare to escape.

It probably took all of his willpower not to flinch. "I see. Is Yuki here with you?" he asked, trying to make conversation.

"No, he's at Kuon's sister's house with his sister," Kyoko said smoothing, slipping into Natsu seamlessly.

"I'm sure he would be excited to see you again, Mr. Ambler," I added, smirking wickedly.

"Really? I got the impression Yuki didn't like me very much. So, um, why was I called up here, President?" Ambler asked, edging back towards the door.

Ryuuya-san smiled at him. I was pleased to see it was quite similar to Kyoko's.

"I called you up here for a lecture on respecting your elders in the industries and a bit of chiding for not apologizing to my daughter, whom, you seem to have a past connection with."

Ambler glanced at Kyoko and gulped. "That was you earlier? Sorry, I didn't recognize you. Why did you dye your hair?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"It's a long story, but to summarize it in a few words, my mother was involved."

Ryuuya-san winced. "I see a few of her mother's connections came into play. Russian mafia?" he asked me quietly.

I nodded. "A bunch of weaklings, if you asked me. Kyoko, Aoi, your granddaughter, my father, Kyoko's best friend's husband, and I cleared the LME building, without any one being injured, in about an hour, armed with only two automatics, two pistols, and whatever martial arts we knew."

Ryuuya-san whistled. "The Mogami women have always had a special weapon, if you know what I mean," he said quietly.

I nodded. "Yeah, Yuki has a little but nowhere near as much power as Kyoko and Aoi. Now, is it uncommon to be able to see this weapon after a certain period of time?" I asked him.

Ryuuya-san frowned. "My aunt had lived with my parents as long as I can remember, but never once was I able to see them. You, my boy, are very special if you can see those little devils," he said resting his hands on my shoulders. "I'm glad she's marrying you, Kuon-kun."

"Not to change the topic, but are you sure we shouldn't be restraining Kyoko by now?" I asked, gesturing to where a, nearly, dead Ambler lied in front of a cackling Kyoko.

"Hmm…Maybe we should stop her," Ryuuya-san agreed, standing up.

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I wasn't in the least bit happy. Kuon had not only _blindfolded_ me, but he had _tied_ my arms and legs to me chair!

"Come on! I wasn't doing anything to him!" I whined, knowing Dad and Kuon could hear me.

"Kyoko, I'm can see your little demons," Kuon reminded me. I could almost see his smirk.

"I wasn't going to kill him. I'm not a murder," I said, firmly.

He chuckled. "I think there are two people out there who would disagree with you."

"That beagle and Sho don't count as human beings," I said, pouting.

Dad chuckled. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but what exactly did those two do to my daughter?" he asked Kuon.

"Well, Fuwa broke her heart, somehow fell in love with her again, and is still trying to win her back presently. Well, he's kind of taking a break while he recovers," Kuon amended, smiling, no doubt.

"And this 'beagle'?" Dad asked, amused.

"He would be the ex-lead singer of Vie Ghoul. He's stop his pursuit, but he was never forgiven for the Karuizawa incident."

"Takarada mention something about that. I think it was something about stalker and an actress almost got raped?"

"That's right. Kyoko didn't get along well with him after that," Kuon said, calmly. It didn't take a sensor demon to tell that Dad was enraged.

"That bastard did what to my daughter?!" he yelled. I would have plugged my ears if my hands weren't bound.

"We've already dealt with him, Dad. I broke his nose, and his jaw, some of my patron beat him up a little, and, somehow, received a little brain damage. Now, he's pretty much your average loon," I added, smiling.

"And his son was dating my daughter," Kuon said.

"Was?" Dad asked curiously.

"It seems he could pass for his father's twin. Supposedly, one day his father just woke up with the idea to live as his son for a day," Dad snorted, but didn't interrupt Kuon. "Coincidentally, Kyoya-kun, the beagle's son, had a date with Aoi. A lot of people mistake Aoi and Kyoko for twins, and the beagle thought it would be oh so funny to scare her. What he actually did is up in the air, but, from what Aoi acts like, I would assume it was pretty bad."

I sighed. "You really hate that poor boy, don't you? I don't see you bashing Hino-kun like that, and just because he's the beagle's son doesn't mean he's like his father!"

"She likes the son, but not the father?" Dad asked, chuckling.

"God knows why, but, yes, Kyoko has taken a liking to the beagle's son," Kuon said, sighing.

I rolled my eyes, not that they could see me do it.

"Well, I know one thing we can call him," Dad said humorously.

"What?" Kuon asked.

I groaned. "Dad, Aoi has already told me that one. It isn't that funny."

"Oh, hush. And it can't be that bad," he protested.

If I didn't have a blindfold on, I would have given him an incredulous look. "Fine, say it. I don't care anymore," I said, just waiting for Dad to make a fool out of himself.

"Well, at least you can call the son a son of a dog. Get it? Get it, Kuon-kun?" Dad asked. I could just see him nudging Kuon with his elbow.

"No offense, Ryuuya-san, but I have to agree with Kyoko on this one. That was pretty bad."

Dad huffed. "The younger generations never get my jokes, even though their hilarious!"

"Dad, you're not funny. Deal with it," I said coarsely, still pissed that I was tied up.

"Mogami Kyoko," he said, shocked. "How can you talk to your father like that?"

I groaned. "Can you two just untie me? Ambler's gone, I'm not going to go track him down and kill him," I added, a little whiny.

Kuon sighed and untied my feet while Dad untied my hands.

"Were those really necessary?" I asked, rubbing my wrist absently.

"Yes," they replied immediately.


	36. Chapter 35

_**Kyoko's POV**_

"Do we have to get this dressed up?" Yuki asked, glancing in the mirror with a disgusted expression. He was in a short sleeved white dress shirt, a pale green tie, black pants, and black loafers.

After talking with Dad a little two days before, we had agreed to dinner with the whole family. Lord knows why, he wanted it to be a formal event.

Kuon rolled his eyes. He looked exactly like an older, blonde Yuki, except, he had a dark blue stripped tie. "If you want to complain, do it when your grandfather's present. He's the one who decided it."

Aoi scowled at the two. "What's wrong with dressing up every once in a while?" she asked, gesturing to her baby pink, strapless, knee-length dress and white flats.

"Aoi's right. And Yuki, this is good practice for becoming an actor as well. Do you see your father or me wearing jeans to a movie premier or a celebrity event?" I asked him, sternly. He grumbled, fingers twitching towards his tie.

I chuckled. "It's only for an hour or two, Yuki. It's not like we're making you were this kind of stuff every day," I said gesturing to my own Persian blue, ankle-length halter dress and my 3-inch black strappy heels.

"But, Kaa-san, it's still one to two hours. And how do you know that Ryuuya jii-chan's wife, your step-brothers, and half-sister will like us anyway?"

I sighed. "I don't, but, while my father is at the table, they will bite their tongues. I can bet my whole life saving that my step-mother will not approve of your father, Yuki. And if they've heard about you, they will definitely try to raise hell behind your father's back. Now, no matter what they say, neither of you two will harm them. Is that clear?" I asked them.

They nodded, with sour expressions.

"But if any of them make a move for us," Yuki said.

"We will retaliate," Aoi finished.

I smiled and hugged them. "I know, I will too." I chuckled. "It sounds like we're preparing for a treaty meeting between two warring countries."

Kuon chuckled. "That's what we're basically doing. You're the daughter from the first marriage, thought to be dead for 34 years, Kyoko. It must have been a shock for Ryuuya-san's family."

I shrugged, and glanced at the clock. "We better start heading out," I said heading towards the garage. I grabbed the keys to the Yume-san's black Mercedes, unlocked the car, and slid into the drivers' seat.

"You learned how to drive?" Kuon asked, genuinely surprised.

"How else was I going to carpool? I may not have my own car, but I know how to drive," I said, starting the engine. Yuki and Aoi hurriedly climbed into the back seat and buckled their seatbelts. I opened the garage door and started pulling out.

"Watch out!" Kuon yelled, and I immediately slammed on the breaks. The car came to so sudden a stop the seatbelts locked, the car's occupations were flung forward.

"What the hell was that for?!" I screamed at him.

"I wanted to test your reaction time," he said innocently.

The three of us smacked him on the back of his thick head, and I started pulling out again, this time without interruption.

The streets lights of LA glittered like stars as we drove past them. Surprisingly, the roads were not very busy, so it didn't take long to get to Dad's house, er, mansion. I parked out front and turned off the engine.

"Well, at least it's smaller than the president's," I said, getting out.

Kuon chuckled. "_Any_ mansion is smaller than the president's, Kyoko. You could probably call it a palace."

"Let's just get this over with," Yuki grumbled, heading up the stairs. The rest of us followed a bit more slowly. Yuki tapped his foot impatiently, waiting by the door. I shot him a disapproving look, ringing the doorbell.

It wasn't long before the door was flung open to reveal Dad, dressed in a black dress shirt and black slacks.

"You're early, Kyoko." He glanced at Aoi and Yuki. "You must be Aoi and Yuki. It's a pleasure to meet you," Dad said, bowing.

They returned the bow and smiled. "It's nice to meet you as well, Ryuuya Ojii-sama."

"No need to be so formal. None of my other grandchildren," he added, grumbling.

Yuki and Aoi grinned. "Hai, Ryuuya Jii-chan!"

Kuon and I sighed. Those grins meant trouble, and they were planning on raising hell if someone disapproved of our little family even the tiniest bit.

"Now, come in. Come in. Alisa, my wife, just finished cooking dinner, and the rest of the family should be arriving shortly," Dad said, ushering us in and towards the dining room. The table was set for 16, with enough food and then some. A charming middle-aged woman, whom I presumed to be my step-mother, was seated at the head of the table. Her eyes were twin emeralds framed by strands of graying black hair. Even in old age the woman was stunning. She smiled at us warmly.

"You must be Kyoko, Kuon, Aoi and Yuki. It's a pleasure to finally meet my step-daughter and her own family," she said, standing up. "I'm Alisa. You can call me whatever you like. As long as it's appropriate. My two boys, Kevin and David, always give me a bad time about telling people to call me whatever they like," Alisa said, rolling her eyes. I smiled. She seemed like a kind and humorous woman. My smiled dropped, realizing, it might only be an act.

"It's nice to meet you as well, Alisa," I said, shaking her hand. "I'm Kyoko. This is Kuon, my fiancé," I said placing my hand on his shoulder lightly. "And these two," I said, placing a firm hand on one of their shoulders. "Are my son, Yuki, and my daughter, Aoi."

They smiled politely. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Grandmother Alisa."

She smiled. "Why don't you all take a seat?" Alisa asked, gesturing to the chairs.

"Don't mind if we do," I said, going to pull out a chair. I was surprised when Kuon pulled it out before I got the chance to. "Thank you, Kuon," I said, sitting down.

He flashed a quick grin. "You're welcome."

_**Kuon's POV**_

I wasn't surprised to see a famous face or two at the dining table. What had surprised me was seeing a retired actress by the name of Monica Shields. It turned out she was married to Kyoko's oldest step-brother, Kevin. I decided not to mention my previous association with Monica, but I overlooked the fact Kyoko could read me like an open book.

"Do you know Monica, Kuon?" she asked loudly. In English, of course. Everyone's, except Monica's, ears perked up at the question.

"I'm not sure. She does resemble an actress I worked with years ago, but it's quite unlikely they're the same person," I lied smoothly.

"Bull crap," Yuki said bluntly.

I smiled at him. "And why would you think that?"

He smiled back. "You always use that smile, and tone when you're lying or angry."

"Kuon, you're going to be one of us soon enough. A little blunt honesty won't hurt anyone," Ryuuya-san said, excited at the prospect of new information.

"Like Kuon said, Dad, we probably did a drama together or something. It was so long ago, I've forgotten most of it," Monica said, smiling apologetically.

Kyoko gritted her teeth. "I believe Dad said _honest_." She managed to sound polite and accusing at the same time.

"I take it no one has been in Japan anytime in the past 10 years?" Aoi asked, calmly taking a sip of her water.

We all looked at her blankly.

"I take that as a 'no'. There was a big fuss about 10 years ago. The first Tsuruga Ren scandal. I believe you, Mrs. Monica Shields, were seen leaving my father's apartment at a late hour. Most people assumed you were sleeping with him, and with your confirmation, people disbelieved my father's side of the story. I think I have the actually article stashed away somewhere," she added, going deep into thought.

"I take it you had a late practice session?" Kyoko asked.

"Yes, it took LME's PR department months to get that through to the public. And it's not like I could let her use the guest room," I added, quietly.

She smiled. "Not without her asking some very personal questions. I think her first assumption would have been you were a pervert," the little vixen added, quite loudly.

"Are you trying to turn your family against me, Kyoko?" I asked her, impassively.

"Maybe, I don't have a definite goal, yet."

Ryuuya-san chuckled. "She's certainly Saena's daughter with that kind of sadism."

Kyoko raised her eyebrow in a silent question. An oblivious person would have missed the underlying blood boiling rage.

Ryuuya-san shut his mouth and kept it closed for a few moments. "If you'll excuse me, I have to use the restroom," he said, not quite running, not quite walking either, out of the dining room for the first time all evening.

"Finally, the old geezer's gone," Kyoko's youngest step-brother, David, said.

I knew the evening was going too well.

"So, Corny boy, did you really not shack up with Monica or was that just to please Dad and little Kyoko?" he asked, smirking quite broadly.

I was very tempted at that moment to let Yuki do his worst to the brown haired man. "I didn't sleep with Monica, if that's what you wanted to know, David," I said, smiling gentlemanly.

"Really? Then why didn't she stay the night?" Kevin asked, curiously.

I warred with myself how to answer. I could say it wasn't any of their business but that would raise suspicions. Yet, if I told them I was trying to keep the guest room the way Kyoko had left it, things could go very badly.

"Dad probably didn't want her using the guestroom because he was trying to preserve it," Yuki said, taking advantage of my hesitation.

"And why would he do that?" Alisa asked, her face bored and lined with disgust.

"Because that's where he writes," Aoi supplied.

This was heading in a very bad direction.

"Writes? He's an author?" Helen asked, trying not to laugh.

"Yes, too bad he only has one best seller," Kyoko said, sighing. I was starting to see how my father could be fooled by her acting.

"Oh? Anything one of us might have read?" Jamie, David's oldest (15), asked, smelling a lie.

"Maybe. Have any of you read _Heartache Dreams_ by Kyota Higuri?" I asked, playing along. I wasn't all too surprised when glasses of water and jaws dropped.

"You mean pretty boy here wrote one of the deepest pieces of writing in today's literature?" Mathew, Kevin's second oldest (13), asked in utter incredulity.

I smiled. "Well, it is a true story. I'm thinking of writing a sequel. The real life couple has gotten back together. The man mentioned something about proposing eventually, too. I wonder if he popped the question already," I added, trying to smile, not smirk.

"So who is _Heartache Dreams_ modeled after?" Alisa asked, causally.

I smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, but I'm not at liberty to disclose that."

"Why? Because you want to protect the couple? Or because you want to distract us from seeing the couple, is actually you two?" Kevin asked, smiling warmly.

They were trying to raise hell, and they were trying damn hard. I shivered as the room temperature dropped dangerously low.

"I think they're trying to raise hell, Kaa-san. May I cause a bit of a stir?" Aoi asked, her eyes sparkling brightly with wrath. I gulped this was going in a very bad direction very, very quickly.


	37. Chapter 36

_**Kuon's POV**_

Kyoko tried not to smile too wickedly at Aoi's request. "By all means, Aoi. I did say if they raised hell you could retaliate. But I would advise you to do it discreetly," she added, smiling coldly.

"Lucky," Yuki muttered quietly.

Aoi touch his shoulder gently. "Don't worry, I'll try to incorporate you into my idea," she said, reassuringly.

Kyoko smiled at the sight, and I knew exactly why. Two head are always better than one, especial when they're planning something mischievous.

"Kyoko, are you considering what might happen to Ryuuya-san's estate?" I asked quietly.

"I have, Kuon, and don't worry. Aoi's a good girl; she won't break anything too expensive."

Aoi nodded, but I wasn't reassured.

The table's occupants were looking at us suspiciously. They guessed we were planning something we didn't want them to hear. I used to think language barriers were a pain; I started to see the good side of language barriers after that.

"Fine, but you're going to explain whatever happens to Ryuuya-san," I said, not even bothering to object. Even if I did, there was nothing I could do to stop them. Well, almost nothing.

"Don't worry, Tou-san," Yuki said, holding up a tape recorder. "He won't blame us for long."

They may not have been able to understand us, but they understood perfectly what the tape recorder meant. They tried to raise hell behind Ryuuya-san's back, and now, we were going to raise hell right in front of him.

"You insolent child, hand over that tape recorder this instant!" Alisa snarled, holding out her hand.

Yuki stared at her with wide, innocent eyes, dropping said tape recorder. One of Aoi's demons caught it before it hit the ground. It probably seemed like magic, when the dropped tape recorder suddenly "appeared" in Aoi's hand.

"My, my, someone's bossy. I thought a lady as refined as Alisa 'Black Widow' Carter would know how to make a polite request," she said, smiling charmingly.

"You look like an angel, walk like an angel, talk like an angel, but I got wise, you're the devil in disguise," to quote Elvis' song "Devil in Disguise".

_**Damn**_, I thought, sighing, _**Dad's music has started to grow on me.**_

Kyoko grinned knowingly. "Quoting Elvis mentally, dear?"

I looked at her blankly. "How did you know?" I asked. I knew she had demons, but mind reading? If that was so, I was looking at spending the rest of my days sleeping on a couch.

She giggled. "Sho said I sounded like the girl in 'Devil in Disguise' by Elvis Presley," she explained.

I laughed. "I think I know why."

"Oi, Kaa-san, I need a little back up!" Aoi said, scooting her chair back. Her cousins, all of them, did the same. They were planning on tackling Aoi to get the recorder. It was an all or nothing plan. Kyoko pushed back her chair, clutching her purse tightly.

"On the count of three, Aoi," Kyoko hissed. "Kuon, count us down."

I nodded. "Ichi, ni, san!" as I said the last number Kyoko and Aoi bolted out of the dining room at inhuman speeds.

"Shit," one of David's son, Mark (I think), said chasing after them.

It was going to be an interesting game of cat and mouse, but there was something Kyoko's step-brothers, and their families didn't know; Kyoko and Aoi were not the mice.

Before leaving Yume's house, I caught a glimpse inside Kyoko's purse. She had a pair of scissors, two tubes of black hair dye, a dress that was matched Aoi's, and white flats identical to Aoi's. They were planning a little magic show from the beginning. My question was quite simple. Who all was in on it?

_**Kyoko's POV**_

Aoi and I had made a mad dash for the restrooms are scouts had located during the first part of dinner. Before running, I had handed Aoi one of the tubes of black hair dye. There was no way they would be able tell us apart. Hopefully, Yuki and Kuon could figure out who was who. I slipped into the bathroom and locked the door behind me. I stripped off my halter dress and pulled on the baby pink strapless dress I pulled out of my purse. I kicked off my heels and slipped on the flats. I grabbed the scissors and started giving myself a bob that was, hopefully, identical to Aoi's. I quickly swept up the hair, deposited it in the trash in, and went on to dying my hair. After finishing with my hair, I sent my purse out to the car via demon transport. Going through walls without anyone seeing was always the best way to transport goods. I was about to open the door when someone started pounding on it.

"I know you're in there, so come out," Jamie hissed. I smiled. Easy opponents were always fun. I yanked open the door, surprising her in doing so, and dove between her legs. I rolled through her legs and set off towards the courtyard.

"Come back here, you whore!" she yelled, chasing after me at a much slower pace.

I smirked, slowing down so Jamie could catch up with me. She was so slow; I actually stop running, and was waited on bench for a few minutes before she caught up.

"Are you out of shape or something, bitch? I've been waiting for you for, like, 10 minutes," I said, standing up. Jamie was furious.

"How dare you! I am from a respectable family! You, on the other hand, are just the daughter of some sniveling-unmarried-retired actress. Did she even get any major roles?" she asked, snidely.

I smiled. "I think you have me confused with someone else," I said grabbing her hand, and inspecting it.

"Huh?" Jamie asked, confused.

I sighed, disappointed. In one fluid motion had swiped Jamie's feet out from under her, and, by the time she realized what was happening, I was already bounding away. Snobs usual don't take surprises and loses well, so there's a lapse in brain function for a few milliseconds. I turned a corner to run into Kevin.

"Shit," I said, stumbling backwards. I turned to run, but he caught my arm.

"Not so fast," Kevin said, smirking broadly. "To think I caught the little doe so early. Did you think I wouldn't recognize you with black hair?" he asked, pulling me into his chest.

I smirked, but looked up at him wide-eyed, trying to seem scared. "N-n-n-no, b-b-b-but M-m-mom s-s-suggested it, s-so I went along with it," I said, my voice trembling. If I didn't have my kind of acting skills, I wasn't sure I could have pull it off.

He grinned wolfishly. "I'll forgive, on two conditions. You hand over the tape recorder to me and I get a kiss," Kevin added leaning in.

Great, yet another pervert. Wasn't two and a half enough already?

I tried feebly to push him away. "No, I can't. I-I have a boyfriend." I decided to drop the act. "And I don't have the tape recorder," I said, pushing again. Kevin stumbled back a few feet at the unexpected show of strength. "If you want the tape recorder, Kevin. You should try to find Aoi," I said, kicking him down. "'Cuz I don't have it, you perv." I stomped on his chest, and he groaned, obviously, in pain.

I smiled maliciously, and stalked off to find another little mousy. The weak ones were always fun to bully. I paused, thinking about how I was acting. Mio had definitely left her mark on me, but it was advantageous at times. And fun as hell sometimes.

I made it to the bottom of the staircase before I heard Aoi scream.

_**Aoi's POV**_

It was a last resort, but how else was I supposed to get away from the little perv? I tried, yet again, to pry the little five year old boy off my chest. He was Kevin's youngest son, John, and he was more interested in my chest than the tape recorder.

"Say, are you a B-cup or a C-cup, pretty lady?" he asked, smilingly wolfishly. It was disturbing to see such an expression on such a young child's face. Must have something to do with his father and grandmother.

I stared at the little booger. "Did you really just use that pick up line on me?" I asked him, seriously pissed off.

"Of course," John purred, rubbing his head into my breast. I was millimeters away from throttling the little bastard.

I was surprised when someone ripped the fun-size lecher off me. I smiled, seeing Kaa-san holding him out at arm's-length.

"He's a carbon copy of his father," she said disdainfully, tossing the little lustful brat on the staircase. "Are you okay?" she asked me, gripping my shoulders tightly.

I chuckled softly. "I'm fine, Kaa-san. I was just frustrated, since the little perv wouldn't let go."

She smiled. "Good. It's just when I heard you scream I expected the worse—and we'd better get a move on it," Kaa-san added hurriedly, glancing below.

My cousins were lined up—like a battalion—at the bottom of the stairs, smiling broadly. They thought they'd cornered mice, when they cornered two vicious little kitties. We smiled down at them invitingly. Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly. Or in this case, the cat to the mouse.

"Shall we play some more?" I asked them, leaning against the railing.

Kaa-san copied me, leaning against the railing on my right side, farther from the stairs then my left.

"Yes, we should," she purred in agreement.

"Who's first?" we asked with matching predatory grins.

God had to throw a wrench into our plans. In the form of a revolver, no less. I had known the bitch was packing, but I didn't think she would actually pull it on us. At least the two meat heads were somewhere else.

"I think we've had enough games for today, Aoi," Alisa said, coolly, the gun trained on my chest.

I just grinned down at her and showed her my empty palms. "Sorry, Grandma, but I don't have it," I said smiling apologetically.

She growled. "Where is it?"

Kaa-san grinned. "It's stashed in darkness. Hope you can figure that little hint out," Kaa-san pushed off the railing and started down the hall. A shot rang out and Kaa-san stopped dead in her tracks. A bullethole was in the wall, missing her by only centimeters. I gulped.

"So you want to play with a gun, huh?" she asked, smiling. She reached into her bra and pulled out five bullets. "I wasn't stupid enough to leave you with six shots, darling step-mother."You could hear the sarcasm dripping off the statement.

Alisa growled and chucked the gun at me. I didn't even flinch as it missed my ear by a millimeter. Living with that woman for a number of years has some advantages.

I smiled wickedly. "Was that supposed to scare me?" I asked, picking up the revolver. Kaa-san handed me the bullets and I loaded the gun, adding a bullet of my own. "I may not have a lot of experience with a gun, but I know enough," I said, training the revolver on Alisa.

"Kyoko. Aoi, I believe this game of cat and mouse is over," David said, walking into view, a gun trained on Yuki and Tou-san's heads.

I heard someone snarled, and realized it was me. I couldn't say I was too surprised. Even though they were meat heads, they were family.

"Give us the tape recorder, and we'll give you safety," David said, smoothly. I clenched my jaw. It didn't take a genius to see he was lying through his teeth. I opened the revolver and spun the cylinder 'til it land on my bullet. I shut the cylinder and trained the barrel on David.

"Take the guns away from their heads, and hand them the guns, David. Or I will shoot you," I said, with a lethal edge. And I wasn't kidding. If that bastard was going to threaten my family, I was going to take a chuck out of. Physcially and psycholgically.


	38. Chapter 37

_**Kuon's POV**_

Everyone just stared at Aoi as she aimed at David. I hadn't seen Aoi shoot before, and, by her stance, I could tell she was just a novice.

"Aoi, put the gun down, and give him the tape recorder," I said through gritted teeth.

She didn't take her eyes off David as she replied, "I'm not going to relay on my last trick, yet, Tou-san. And don't worry, I won't miss."

I glanced at Kyoko, and stiffened. She was grinning wickedly, not a hint of worry or tension. Yuki laughed. I stared at him.

"Tou-san, no need to worry. They have this covered," he said, relaxing.

"They're going to use them, aren't they?" I asked.

Yuki shrugged. "I don't know, but whatever's in that bullet it isn't lead."

I couldn't help a smile. "How 'bout we safe her a bullet?" I asked, glancing at the gun pressed to my skull and back at Yuki.

He smiled mischievously. "Shall we show them how we disarmed Russian mafia goons? Or shall we do it the old fashion way?"

"Whichever you prefer," I said, smiling brilliantly.

David jammed the gun, hard, against my skull. "Who said you two could talk amongst yourselves?"

Yuki frowned at him and muttered, "Let's take him down mafia style."

I chuckled, and spun around. David was caught off guard as I ripped one gun out of his hand. Yuki took the opportunity to grab the other. We grinned triumphantly, pointing the guns at David.

"Looks like the tables are still in our favor," Kyoko murmured loudly, vaulting over the railing. Aoi hesitated, but copied her mother, after dropping the revolver. Both landed on their feet, stunning Kyoko's step-family.

"I think we can go home now," Aoi said, yawning. "I'm done playing. I also need a bath, possibly in bleach. I want to get the fun-sized lecher germs off me."

Kyoko nodded. "I want to get the full-sized lecher germs off. I found bleach doesn't help much. I would say go kiss your boyfriend, but, he's in Japan. Lucky me," she said happily, and kissed me.

I scowled down at her. "I'm not lecher germ remover."

"Nope, you're tastier," Kyoko said, smiling impishly as she kissed me again.

"I see Mio, not my Kyoko," I said, wrapping my arms around her waist.

She shrugged. "Mio is part of me, and you love me."

I sighed, and kissed her. "I'm going to be one sorry man after I marry you."

Kyoko smiled. "You won't mind too much," she said, slipping out of my arms and heading out to the Mercedes.

I chuckled, following her. "We'll call to tell you when the wedding is," I called to Alisa, not even bothering to look back. Aoi and Yuki followed a few feet behind Kyoko and me, chuckling. Life was good again.

"So what are we going to do with the tape recorder?" I asked, unlocking the Mercedes.

They looked at me blankly. "Didn't we tell you it was just a hunk of plastic?"

I dropped the keys. "I went under the barrel of a gun for a piece of plastic?!" I yelled at them.

"You didn't have to, Kuon. You chose to stand by your family. You went under the barrel of a gun for your family, Kuon, not for a piece of plastic," Kyoko said quietly, getting into the passenger seat.

I picked up the keys and climbed in silently. "I don't like being left out of the loop when the people I care about may be injured," I said, starting the engine.

Kyoko smiled softly. "I know, I should have told you before hand, but, I'm just so used to telling only one or two people. It's going to take time before I fall into a new routine."

I patted her hand, "I'm sorry for getting angry at you."

She shrugged. "You deserved to be."

"I don't mean to interrupted," Yuki said, "coughing".

"But can we go back to Yume Ba-chan's? Yuki and I are tired and I don't think we're going to last very long," Aoi said, yawning.

"Sure," I said, putting the Mercedes into reverse.

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I don't know why, but, the morning after the dinner with Dad and his family, I felt great. I climbed out of bed and dug a comfortable outfit out of my suitcase. I pulled on a white t-shirt, a pair of black sweat pants, and silver flats. I almost made it to my door before, it flew open. Yuuta and James tackled me to the ground.

"Kyoko Ba-chan, play with us!" they chimed excitedly.

I chuckled. "I'll play with you after breakfast. Right now, I'm so hungry I could eat you," I said growling at them. Yuuta and James flew out the door as fast as they had come. I got up and head downstairs. I probed the kitchen for food and found it empty, save for nine eggs, stale bread, six strips of bacon, a very small package of sausage, half a gallon orange juice, a quart gallon of milk. It was definitely Kuon's sister's house. I grabbed two eggs and set them on the counter while I hunted for a frying pan.

"I thought actors couldn't cook," someone said behind me.

I turned to see John behind me. "That's only the rich ones. I wasn't raised in wealth. I learned to cook, so I wasn't a burden on the family who took care of me."

He frowned. "I thought your mother was alive."

I smiled frostily. "She is. I was dumped on a friend of the family when I entered middle school."

John nodded, and left. Quite quickly. I sighed. You do something out of the ordinary once, and everyone becomes scared of you. I grabbed the pan, set it on the stove, and started to make my breakfast. It took about three minutes to cook, but the twins kept stealing my plate so it took me ten minutes to eat two fried eggs. I set my plate on the counter and whirled to face the two little terrors.

"So what do you want to play?" I asked.

They wore matching Cheshire cat grins. "We want to play at the park down the street."

"Okay, if that's the case, then I need to get my purse. Get your shoes on and wait for me by the door," I said, heading upstairs. I grabbed my purse and went back down stairs. Yuuta and James were patiently waiting by the door.

I narrowed my eyes. "What are you little devils planning?"

They looked up at me with wide, innocent eyes. "What do you mean, Kyoko Ba-chan?"

I frowned, but didn't question them again as we headed down to the park. It wasn't very far from Yume-san's house, but it was crawling with teenage boys. The little devils wanted to throw me into a pack of wolves and see if I could come out alive. If I was them, I'd have been worrying about the wolves.

"Kuon's going to chew you out when we get back," I reminded them.

They just grinned at me innocently. "We didn't make you come, Kyoko Ba-chan. You accepted our invitation."

"You two really are the spawn of Satan," I muttered.

They just grinned and ran off to play on some of the equipment. I sat down on a bench that had a good view of the play ground. Kuon's number one rule concerning the twins: never let Satan spawn out of your sight. And I was starting to follow to those rules.

"Is this seat taken?" a young man asked.

I smiled at him politely, and shook my head.

He returned the smile and sat down. He was around Yuki's age with blonde hair and pale green eyes. "I'm Charles," he said extending a hand.

"I'm Kyoko," I said, shaking his hand.

"Aunt Kyoko!" the twins cried.

I glanced at the play ground and froze. Yuuta and James were standing on the swings as they swung back and forth.

"Yuuta, James, do not stand on the swings!" I yelled, standing up. They just grinned. I gritted my teeth and stomped over to the swings. When I was within four feet of the swings, they sat down properly on the swings.

"Little devils," I murmured walking back to the bench.

"Your nephews?" Charles asked, smiling.

"Yes, and I'm beginning to think the really are demons," I said, sighing.

"Those two are legends on this play ground. No one knows who their parents are, so no one can get them to stop," he said, watching the two.

"Not even their parents can keep them under control. Their uncle seems to be their idol and father figure."

Charles chuckled. "It probably just a stage."

"From what I've heard it's been going on for five years. That's an awful long stage," I said, glancing at the twins. They'd gotten off the swings and were talking with a pair of girls. From the giggles, I guessed it was more likely flirting. Must have been something about the Hizuri bloodline.

"Sometimes kids just don't grow out of things. Sometimes they don't want to," he said quietly. I nodded. Kids needed attention and if they didn't get it in a good why, they did things to get it in a bad way. Yume-san and John-san both worked, so they weren't home all the time. Yuki didn't have that kind of problem anymore. When he was in third grade he was occasionally doing something bad on purpose to get my attention. I took a break from Le Goût du Vin and he started behaving.

"I know what you mean. Sometimes it's the exact opposite. They're extra good because they think you'll love them." That was how I was. Aoi was different. That woman had needed her, she hadn't needed me.

"Yeah, not a lot of those kids stay out of trouble once they get into teen and adulthood," Charles said, smirking at the twins. Great, I was sitting next to a jack-ass or sadist.

I was about to get up when my phone rang. I opened my purse, and dug out my phone. I checked the caller ID and frowned. The number was block.

I flipped it open and pressed it to my ear. "Hello, Kyoko speaking."

"Where are you?" Kuon asked, quietly.

"I'm at the park with the twins," I said, impassively.

He paused. "What are the little devils doing?"

I glanced over at them. "They're flirting with a pair of girl at least five years older than they are."

Kuon chuckled. "Okay, I'll see you in a few minutes."

I glanced at Charles, and smiled. "Okay, bye," I said hanging up.

"Was that their mother?" Charles asked curiously.

I smiled at him. "Nope, but you'll find out soon enough who it is."

He raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask. I just smiled at him. Yuuta and James must have known something was going on, because they came bounding up to me.

"Kyoko ba-chan, is Yuki onii-chan or Kuon jii-chan coming here?" They asked excitedly.

I nodded. "He'll be here soon. Why don't you two get ready to ambush him?"

Glee shone brightly in their grey eyes, turning them silver.

"Is Aunt Kyoko going to help us?" James asked, hopefully.

I smiled. "Yes, I am. Now, scoot, he's going to be here soon and you two don't want to be out in the open," I said, pushing them towards a nearby tree.

Charles was getting suspicious. "Who exactly is coming?"

"You'll see, Charles. Just wait," I said, glancing at the entrance of the park. I wasn't too surprised to see Kuon walking through it. I waved to get his attention. He saw me and smiled. Not the best reaction, not the worst. I heard Charles gulped beside me.

"I-i-i-is that _the_ C-c-c-c-corn?" he asked, scared out of his wits.

"His reputation still stands?" I asked innocently. The spot next to me was vacant within the millisecond.

"Damn, I was hoping I wouldn't get recognize," Kuon said, sitting down beside me. He didn't see Yuuta and James jump from the tree behind him.

"Wow, flying squirrels!" I said, seeing them jump.

Kuon turned to see what "flying squirrels" I'd seen, and the twins smacked right into his face. He glared at me, pulling them off. "You're conspiring with the enemy, Kyoko."

I smiled. "I would never label my cute little nephews-to-be the enemy."

He wrapped his arms around my waist lazily. "So if I start sending them after you, I won't be a single man again?" he asked.

"They won't attack me, Kuon. They like me," I said kissing him.

He raised an eyebrow and kissed me again. "I can be very convincing you know."


	39. Chapter 38

_**Kuon's POV**_

"What do you mean you're not coming back with us?" I asked Kyoko, outraged.

She sighed. "For the eighth time, Kuon. Instead of going back to Tokyo, I'm going to Paris. I'm going to move the stuff out of my apartment and have it put on the next boat to Tokyo. I'm not sure who I'm going to have takeover Le Gout du Vin yet, so I'll be staying in Paris until I do. And don't even think of coming with me, Kuon. I don't have people counting on me to be in Japan; you do."

I held my tongue, trying not to yell at Kyoko. "At least take Yuki with you," I said, softly.

"I was planning on it," she replied, impassively.

I was getting quite mad. "You could have mentioned that before," I said, through gritted teeth, smiling.

"I did. You stopped listening after I said I wasn't going back to Japan," Kyoko said sweetly.

I was dancing on a very fine line between being a single man and being an engaged man.

I sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just I feel like you're going to pull another disappearing act," I said, sitting down on her bed.

Kyoko hugged me. "I'm not going to disappear, Kuon. I made that mistake once and I don't want to repeat it. And, depending on how you think of it, you have some insurance. Aoi is as important to me as you and Yuki are."

I wrapped my arms around her and held her there. "I know, I just don't want to take that big of chance." I took a deep breath. "I'm scared, Kyoko. I'm scared of losing you again."

She pulled back, and, for a split second, I thought she was going to leave.

Kyoko kissed me gently. "I'm going to marrying you, Kuon. After that, I will never you leave again," she said softly, pressing her forehead to mine.

"I'm going to hold you to that, Kyoko," I told her honestly.

She smiled. "I hope you do, Kuon. I really do."

I let her go. "We need to leave soon or we're going to miss our flights."

Kyoko nodded, smiling forlornly. "I'll try to hurry home."

I cupped her face in my hands. "I'll be waiting, Kyoko. I'll always be waiting."

She smiled softly, and grasped my hands. She slowly pulled my hands away from her face, and placed them in my lap. "Let's get this over with," Kyoko said, heading to the door.

I gave her a lazy grin, and followed her downstairs.

Yuki and Aoi were waiting at the bottom of the stairs with all the luggage.

"Did we sort out who's going on what flight?" Yuki asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, make sure to take good care of your mother. That includes shooing away anything the ring doesn't take care of," I added.

Aoi rolled her eyes. "Can we just get going? I have a date with Yamoto-kun the day after we land in Japan, and I want to get a good night's sleep."

I frowned at her. "If you keep up that attitude, I'm going to put you under house arrest. I'll even get Hime to babysit you."

Kyoko and Yuki laughed.

Aoi flushed with anger. "You will not submit me to that kind of embarrassment."

"Then you'll stop whining and help us get the luggage into the SUV," I said, picking up my duffel bag.

_**Kyoko's POV**_

_~After the flight~_

I glanced around the airport for our ride. Before I left LA I had called Jeanne to make sure she was coming to pick us up. Yuki was growing impatient, since his arms were getting tired (I made him carry the suitcases).

"Kyoko! Yuki!" Jeanne called for a couple yards away, waving at us.

I waved back and started heading towards her. She was leaning against her silver sedan.

I smiled and hugged her. "It's great to see you again, Jeanne."

She chuckled. "It's only been a few weeks, Kyoko. So how did thing go with your man?" she asked, nudging me playfully.

I blushed and lifted up my left hand, so she could see the ring.

Jeanne latched onto my hand and examined the ring intently. "My Lord! That diamonds huge! And is this solid gold?!" She frowned looking at the band of purplish-blue stone. "This looks almost exactly like that stone you have, Corn."

I smiled. "It's supposed to. It's a reminder of who gave me the ring, so he'll always be with me."

Jeanne smiled, sadly. "I guess you're here to tie up loose ends, huh?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I guess Le Goût du Vin's menu is going to be one item shorter from now on."

"We'll miss you, Kyoko," she said hugging me tightly.

I laughed. "Who said I wasn't going to visit everyone now and then? I'm not selling, Jeanne. I'm turning Le Goût du Vin over to you. Manager Jeanne, it has a certain ring to it," I said, winking.

She laughed. "I'm honored."

"Can we just get going?" Yuki asked.

We rolled our eyes, and helped him put the luggage in Jeanne's trunk.

"Oh, Kyoko, did you find Aoi?" Jeanne asked, getting into the drivers' seat.

I smiled. "Yep, she's not to emotionally traumatized. She even has a boyfriend. He's at least three if not four years older than Aoi though."

She whistled. "Someone's aiming high. Is he any good for her?"

"Hell no," Yuki said from the backseat.

I rolled my eyes. "Yamoto seems like an okay guy, though he does seem a little emotionless at times. I've only known him for a few weeks so I'm not really sure yet."

Yuki growled. "He's a no good pervert. He actually let an underage girl stay in his apartment!"

"Kyoko?" Jeanne asked for confirmation or denial.

"Aoi ran away from that woman, and stayed at his apartment for a day, maybe two. I made her move out immediately. He didn't have any objections either," I added.

"Sure he didn't," Yuki mumbled.

I turned around to glare at him. "I picked her up Yuki. I was there and he didn't say anything besides a 'see you tomorrow'."

He grumbled and sunk into the back seat.

Jeanne laughed. "Sounds like his sister complex is back."

"Maybe," I said as Jeanne pulled up to Le Goût du Vin. I frowned seeing that it was closed. "Did you close Le Goût du Vin, because I was coming back, or because of something else?" I asked, climbing out.

She smiled sheepishly. "We've had a few problems with Yuki's fan girls demanding to see him."

"Did you get the police to deal with them?" I asked, walking up to the doors.

"No, we've called them and they say it's not important. We're not a "first class" business. We're not a priority."

I growled, unlocking the door. "What happened while I was gone, Jeanne?"

She winced. "A food critic came and demanded to be served a Grue Brique Geleé di Vin. When we said we couldn't do it, he removed three of our stars."

I stormed into Le Goût du Vin, threw my luggage on the bed of the front bedroom, pulled out my cooking clothes, and stormed into the kitchen.

"Jeanne. Yuki, get the staff here as soon as possible. After that, Yuki, you're going to have to stand outside and attract customers. Jeanne, after you're done, start firing up the appliances," I said getting out ingredients for Grue Brique Geleé di Vins. No one attacked my restaurant and got away with it.

"You whores! You dare open!" a man shouted from the dining area. I stomped out to find a very short man with black hair, and beady little blue eyes just inside the doors.

"Unless you're going to order something, leave," I said, coarsely.

He flushed with anger. "You dare talk to me as if I'm some common person!"

I looked down my nose at the ill-tempered man. "Inside this restaurant everyone is treated the same. Unless you're going to order something, leave."

He took out a little booklet. "If you keep saying such things I'm going to remove another star from this pathetic restaurant," he threatened.

I smiled maliciously. "So it was you who took three of my stars," I said, grabbing his collar. "Never come here again, Chibi-san. I do not welcome your kind in my restaurant." I tossed him out the door and into the parking lot. "Take all my stars. I'll still have customers who will eat my food. I do not need stars."

He stood up, stormed up to me, and slapped me. "You filthy ill-behaved whore! I will take this behavior from no one! My family was once royalty and I will be treated accordingly."

I gritted my teeth and glared down at the man. He had pushed my last button and he wasn't getting away with it.

"As you said yourself, bastard. You're family was _once_ royalty. You are no longer royalty, therefore, you have no power over me. I will not be treated as some child that needs to be punished. I have done nothing wrong. You came into my restaurant calling me, and my staff, whores, and I told you what I tell everyone else who comes through those doors. Unless you're going to order something, get out." I spat the last sentence right into his face.

He was stunned. He never had anyone stand up to him like I had. He didn't know what to do. "Who are you?" he finally asked.

"Kyoko Mogami, the owner of Le Goût du Vin and retired actress. I'm coming out of my retirement after I get married to my fiancé."

His eyes were twin saucers. "Getting married at such a young age?"

I scowled at him. "Why doesn't everyone assume I'm 16? Goddamn it, I'm 35!"

"Maman, I think you need to chill out. Should I get Papa on the phone?" Yuki asked, sticking his head out of the door.

I sighed. "No, I'm okay. I'm calm. I'm not Mio. I'm okay."

He looked at me uneasy. "If you say so, but if I see a hint of Mio, I'm calling," Yuki said, going back inside.

"You're son?" Shorty asked.

"Yes, he's quite the handful. Now where were we?" I asked him.

He shrugged.

I rolled my eyes. "Anyway, unless you're going to order and pay for something, please leave. I have a very strict police about language in my establishment," I added bitterly.

He straightened to his full height, which was around 160cm. "I used the proper language. I ordered a commonly ordered dish and they refused to serve it to me."

I could feel a maliciously smile crawling onto my face. "They _couldn't_ serve it. Only two people, including myself, know the recipe. Both of us were out of the country at the time as well," I added sweetly.

He huffed. "It's not my fault you haven't taught your chefs."

"Do you know the importance of having a dish at a restaurant and it's nowhere else?" I asked him, peeved.

"Yes, I do," he answered cautiously.

"I know of many people who would pay top dollar for my Grue Brique Geleé di Vin recipe. Tell me, would you teach just anyone how to make something like that?"

He grumbled. "No."

"So you understand why I only taught one person the recipe."

He pouted. "Yes."

I smiled and patted him on the head. "Good boy."


	40. Chapter 39

_**Kuon's POV**_

If Kyoko was beside me, she would have been smacking me upside the head with something, probably quite hard. I was smiling at Hino while Aoi was in the guestroom getting ready for their date.

"Tell me, Hino, I heard from my fiancé—Aoi's mother—that she stayed at your house during the first duration of the time she ran away. Is that true?" I asked him, calmly. Of course, it was just a façade, but Hino didn't need to know that.

His expression was…interesting. It was a strange mixture of relief, shock, confusion, and terror. I absently wondered what would happen if his face froze like that.

"Um, well, I had advised her to stay with one of her friends from school, but she said her obaa-sama would find her there. She gave me the puppy dog eyes, Sir. I couldn't say no," Hino said, gulping.

It was bad when the father—me—understood what the boyfriend—Hino—was talking. I had been subjected to that face many times, and it was impossible to resist.

"Is that so?" I asked, letting my face relax.

"Yes, sir," Hino said, relaxing slightly.

"Call me Kuon."

He smiled. "Sure, Kuon ji-san."

"Tou-san, you better not be threatening Yamoto-kun!" Aoi called from the guestroom.

I looked in Aoi's direction blankly and turned back to Hino. "Was I threatening you?" I asked, genuinely confused. I was planning on threatening him, but decided not to.

Hino shook his head. "Not that I could tell."

We chuckled.

"She's definitely her mother's daughter. Now, if you do something wrong, don't straight out lie. Use partial truths. They work a _whole _lot better," I added.

He laughed. "You're kidding? No one can tell when I'm lying."

I smiled. I used to think that way to. Then I met Kyoko.

"Trust me, Hino. She'll see through you no matter how good at lying you are."

He frowned. "How?"

I laughed. "Just wait. When you start seeing them, we'll talk."

Hino stared at me, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion. "What do you mean when I start seeing 'them'? How am I supposed to know what I'm looking for?"

"You'll know. Trust me, when I started seeing them, I thought I was on my way to the loony bin. When you get that feeling give me a call," I said, smirking knowingly.

I might have missed Hino's expression if I'd blinked. I was official psycho in his point of view, but that made things more interesting. I could barely smother a smile.

"Tou-san, are you planning something?" Aoi demanded stomping into the living room in a pair of black flats. She was wearing a dark green strapless top and black skinny jeans, more causal date clothes.

"Now, why would I do that?" I asked her, trying to seem innocent, and, of course, failing.

"You better not be playing around with psychotic emotions again," she said, looking me over uneasily.

"Again?" I asked her, oh so innocently.

Aoi narrowed her eyes. "Don't think I haven't been hearing stories from Kaa-san, Hizuri Kuon. I know all about the Valentine's Day Almost Massacre, the Fuwa Sho incidents, the BJ incident, and the Katsuki incident. Now, that I think about it, Kaa-san never told me how long the Katsuki incident lasted," she added, frowning.

I did my best not to wince. "Why don't you two go on and enjoy your date? Remember to be back before 10 o'clock," I added, pushing them out the door, and closing it hurriedly behind them.

I had absolutely no memory of what happened during the period of time Kyoko refers to as the "Katsuki incident". It had stared like any other 'Dark Moon' shoot, but somewhere on long the line, something had gone disastrously wrong. For three weeks 'Katsuki', or "Emperor of the Night" as Kyoko calls him, was in control. I have no idea what exactly happened during those three weeks. Somehow, Kyoko managed to figure it out, and keep me out of public eye, without sacrificing her virginity; but there were some bruises—that looked suspiciously like hickeys on—her neck.

I sighed and plopped down on the couch. It had been just over twenty-four hours since I'd last seen Kyoko and I already missed her. Love is a cruel, cruel thing. But what can you do about it?

I was debating whether or not to look for something to watch on TV when my cell rang. I picked it up and lazily opened it.

"Moshi moshi?"

"Tou-san, I want to ask you a question. What's the best way to distract Natsu?" Yuki asked.

I groaned. "Try flirting with her. See if you can get her into a place you can lock her up in. After she realizes the games over she'll leave."

"Damn, I just lost money because of you," Yuki growled.

I rolled my eyes. "Who were you betting with?"

"Kaa-san's head chef and the new manager of Le Goût du Vin, Jeanne," he said.

I smiled deviously. "Hand her the phone."

"Tou-san, are you sure?" he asked, cautiously.

"Yes, I am, Yuki."

"Here she is," he said.

There was a pause as the phone changed hands.

"It's a great honor to meet you, Kyoko's man," a woman's voice said amusingly.

I laughed. "Kuon, call me Kuon. It's an honor to meet you as well, Jeanne."

"I take it you want to challenge me about Kyoko knowledge?"

"Naturally," I replied smoothly.

"First question: what was Kyoko's occupation before she came to France?"

I smiled. "Actress. Easy questions won't do you any good. Question two: how is Kyoko's relationship with her mother?"

"I can't believe you actually asked that question. Her relationship with her mother is absolutely horrible. Third question: who was Kyoko's first love?"

I growled. "You're going to seriously ask me this?"

"Yep, so answer, pretty boy," she taunted.

"Do you mean actual first love or her young infatuation?"

"Someone knows how to spot a tricky question; her actually first love."

I smiled. "That would be me, Ms. Know-it-all. Question four: where did Kyoko grow up?"

"Kyoto. Fifth question: why did Kyoko come to Paris?"

"Do you know how many years I asked myself that question?" I asked her, curiously.

"Just answer the damn question," Jeanne growled.

"She went to Paris to protect my career," I said, quietly.

"Wrong, pretty boy," she said triumphantly.

I smirked. "Not in the least. If it came out I got my girlfriend pregnant, my career would have been in shambles. She left for me and I hated her decision every moment of everyday."

_**Kyoko's POV **_

"Kyoko, where the hell do you find these guys?" Jeanne asked me, covering the bottom of the phone.

"Two came from my childhood. The third is connected to the second," I said, stirring the clam chowder on the burner in front of me.

"Ask your question, pretty boy."

Jeanne paused, and turned to me, covering the phone again. "What's your father's name?"

I snorted. "Hand me the phone, Jeanne."

She handed it to me wordlessly.

"Kuon, asking impossible questions is not funny," I said, holding the phone between my left shoulder and my ear.

"How is that an impossible question?" he asked innocently.

"You know damn well I wouldn't tell anyone something like that."

"I assumed you wouldn't tell her," Kuon admitted.

"I take it you two were having a war over me?" I asked, tasting the clam chowder.

"We wanted to know who knew more."

I scowled, moving the pot to the back burner, turning off the front burner, and taking the phone off my shoulder. "Kuon, there's a very obvious answer. Who's known me for almost 30 years?"

"I have, but that doesn't mean I know you best. Fuwa's known you longer than I have," he pointed out.

I laughed. "If you haven't noticed, Sho isn't exactly on my important persons list."

He chuckled. "I don't believe he's been on that list in quite some time. So how's Paris?" Kuon asked, causally.

"I'm looking at least two, if not three, days—maybe more—before I can come back. I had a naughty little boy strip off three of my five stars."

"Ouch, how may have you gotten back?"

I smiled. "All three, but I still need to get the fan girl hordes under control, which could take a three days alone. I haven't even been back to my apartment yet," I added, sighing.

"Sounds like the staff are slacking," Kuon said a smile in his voice.

"Some, not all. It more that they're resisting my authority; half of the chefs don't know I'm over 20."

"You could always inform them."

I snorted. "And how long will that take me? I'm having Jeanne takeover management when I move back to Japan, so what's the point of explaining I'm their boss?"

"Hey, wench, start taking orders out!" a chef called.

I ignored him. "I'll be gone in two, maybe three days; it's not worth the hassle."

The chef stomped up and plucked the phone out of my hands. "I told you to start taking orders out to customers."

I rolled my eyes, and took the phone back. "Sorry about that, Kuon. One of those chefs took the phone and started giving orders."

He chuckled. "It seems you're busy. I'll call you when Aoi gets back from her date with Hino."

I couldn't believe my ears. "You let him go out on a date with her? Are you feeling alright? Are you dizzy or feeling weak? Do you have a fever?" I asked, worriedly.

"Oi, I can be a good guy," he objected.

"Sure, talk to you later."

"Bye," Kuon said, hanging up. I closed Yuki's cell phone and slipped it into my apron pocket.

"Now, that you're done talking, start taking things out to the customers," he said disdainfully.

"No," I said bluntly.

"Do you want to keep your job, wench?" he asked me, exasperated.

I smiled sweetly. "Do you want to keep yours?"

"Kyoko, Yuki wants his cell phone back," Jeanne called from the doors. Yuki must have been busy waiting tables.

"'Kay, I'll give it to him later," I said, turning back to the chef.

"I think you should give it to him know, Kyoko. He seems to want it desperately," she added.

I sighed, and headed towards the door. The chef reached out to grab my arm, but Jeanne stepped in between us.

"What do you think you're doing, Jean-Pierre?" she demanded.

He looked down his nose at her. "I'm disciplining the staff since you can't be bothered to."

Jeanne narrowed her eyes at him. "I have to get permission from the owner before I start disciplining, you know that."

He sneered. "You're just too softhearted, Jeanne. If someone needs discipline, you discipline them. Now move out of the way. This wench needs to learn to respect her elders."

I laughed. "I know to respect my elders, Mr. Jean-Pierre. But I highly doubt you're older than 35."

He reached around Jeanne and caught my neck. "I don't need to be 19 years older to be your elder, wench," he spat into my face.

I smiled, kicking him in the groin. His grip loosened, and he leaned over, clutching his crotch. I brought my knee up into his nose, bringing my fists down on his back as he leaned towards me.

Jean-Pierre let out a soft groan of pain. "Who are you?" he asked, from the floor.

I was surprised he was still conscious. "Kyoko Mogami. I'll be here for a bit, so don't forget it. Now go out back, clean yourself up, and think about how you treated me. If I find your conclusion satisfactory, you might not lose your job. If I find it unsatisfactory, prepare for a beating."

He smiled. "You're not some wench are you?"

I lifted up his face with my foot. "Not in the least, Jean-Pierre."


	41. Chapter 40

_**Kuon's POV**_

I was watching TV, when Aoi came storming in; Hino was nowhere in sight.

"Tou-san, where do you keep the shotgun?" she asked, calmly.

I turned off the TV, and glanced at her. "I don't have a shot gun. But why would you want one?"

Aoi groaned. "Can I just have one of your pistols then? No questions asked?" she begged.

"Nope. You can use the bat in the linen clothes if you want, though," I said, turning the TV back on.

Aoi hugged me, and ran off to get the bat. "Thanks, Dad," she called, heading to the door, iron bat in hand.

"Wait a minute, Aoi. Why do you need that bat?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.

"There's a big bug outside and I want to kill it," she answered innocently.

"I take it the bug is he-who-shall-not-be-named?" I asked, chuckling.

She smiled. "Of course. And I think the bat will do very well," Aoi added, malice gleaming in her eyes.

I sighed. "Aoi, go put back the bat and come sit down," I said softly.

She pouted, but put the bat back into the closet, and sat down on the couch.

"Aoi, I know you don't practically want him alive, neither do I, but you can't just grab a bat and publicly beat him. You would be seen as the wrongdoer, not him," I explained softly, meeting her gaze.

She nodded dejected.

"Do you have any pictures of he-who-shall-not-be-named?" I asked, seeing if there were any hopes to bring back her spirits.

Aoi nodded cautious. "Yeah, somewhere. Why?"

"Have you ever handled a gun before?" I asked, smiling.

"Yes, Obaa-sama took me out occasionally to make sure I knew how to handle one."

I smiled. "How would you like some he-who-shall-not-be-named shooting targets?"

Her eyes lit up like I had just offered to murder the bastard. "Seriously? But what about you? It's no fun shooting alone."

I grinned. "I still have plenty of Fuwa targets left."

Aoi smiled and hugged me. "That's why you're the best tou-san in the world."

I ruffled her hair. "I think Kyoko, and he-who-shall-not-be-named, would disagree."

She shrugged. "Their opinions don't matter."

I laughed. "Ah, speaking of your kaa-san, I'm supposed to call her back after you got back from her date."

Aoi looked at me blankly. "She called while I was out?"

"No, Yuki did. He had a bet with Kyoko's head chef and called me since Kyoko wasn't willing to relinquish 'needed' information."

She chuckled. "What was the bet about?"

"It was something about Natsu but I can't remember what about her," I said, shrugging.

"I see where Yuki gets his laziness from."

"Your kaa-san said the same thing," I said.

Aoi laughed. "Whatever, let's call Kaa-san now."

I rolled my eyes and pulled out my cell phone. I hit Kyoko's speed dial, and waited for her to pick up. I was surprised when someone else answered her phone.

"Hello, Kuon?" Jeanne asked, relieved.

I was puzzled. Why would my call relieve her? "Is something wrong, Jeanne?" I asked, cautiously.

"Well, one of the chefs tried to order Kyoko around, think she was just some part-timer. She was being a little bit smart mouthed about it, so he made to grab her. I stepped in between them, but, sometimes, Kyoko doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut. The chef reached around me and grabbed her neck," she explained hurriedly.

I winced, feeling for the somewhat poor fellow. "How bad is he beaten?"

"So far? I think he already has at least a broken nose and maybe a few ribs. He'll probably be in the hospital for at least a few months, but the thing is," Jeanne hesitated, probably glancing at them. "She's not stopping. Yuki's already tried to stop her, and he's against the wall, trying to get out of some invisible binds."

I whistled. Kyoko rarely got mad enough to bind someone to a wall. if they weren't involved, of course.

"Put me on speaker, and get as close to her as you can," I said, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Okay," Jeanne responded hesitantly. She must have put the phone on speaker; sounds of flesh connecting with flesh came crystal clear over the phone, followed by groans and coughing.

"Kyoko, its Kuon. Remember, I said I'd call you back after Aoi got back? Well, she's back," I said, trying to distract her from her target.

"Really?" Kyoko asked, surprised. "I thought they'd be out longer." Her voice grew louder, meaning she was getting closer to the phone and farther from her victim. Mission accomplished.

"Yeah, there was a certain complication." I chuckled to myself. "Aoi thought the complication warranted a metal bat to the head."

Kyoko sighed. There was a little beep as she turned off speaker. "Did she succeed? Or were you kind enough to stop her?" Sarcasm coated each word. Sometimes I wondered how she could use so much of it and never grew tired of using it.

"I stopped her and gave her a very stern lecture about it," I said, ignoring her sarcasm.

Kyoko paused for a moment. "If I find any shooting targets when I get back, there's going to be barbecue for dinner. Can you guess what the kindling will be?" she asked ever so sweetly.

"Who said anything about shooting targets?" I asked her. There was no way she could have stiffed out that plan from all the way on the other side of Europe.

"I'm not an idiot, Kuon. If you talk Aoi out of killing the poor boy, she'd want something to compensate. Shooting targets are right up your alley," she added, knowingly. She was probably grinning ear to ear.

"I wanted to take her out to the shooting range the next time I go with Yuki, and I don't think she'd want to shoot Fuwa targets," I said, calmly. If Kyoko could sniff out one of my plans that far away, a lie wasn't going to do me much good. A nervous lie was practically suicide.

"Whatever, now, if you'll excuse me, I have a chef to beat within an inch of his life," Kyoko said. I could see her about to hang up.

"What the heck did he do?" I asked. I was seriously wondering why she wanted to beat him so badly, and it gave me an opportunity to distract her.

"He insulted me, tried to choke me, and was being a jack-ass in general."

I paused. "Worse than Fuwa?" It was a good place to start at.

"Mostly."

"Worse than the beagle?" That was the best baseline I had. If this guy was worse, Lord rest his soul.

"No, he's not worse than the beagle. Maybe I won't beat him," she mumbled quietly. Kyoko sounded tired.

"Rough day?" I asked.

She snorted. "That's an understatement. I think I'm going to take a nap later," she said yawning.

I smiled softly. Bringing Kyoko back to Japan had been a good idea. She needed to get away from Le Goût du Vin, and back into acting. I knew Kyoko enjoyed cooking, but nowhere near as much as she enjoyed acting.

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I became tired chatting on the phone with Kuon. I was tired before talking to him, but after talking with him for a bit, the tiredness started setting in. Talking to him always relaxed me.

"Shall we grill Aoi for details about her date?" Kuon asked, mischievously. I wasn't surprised to hear a whack, and Kuon protesting about getting hit.

I laughed. "Kuon, most girls find it embarrassing to tell their tou-sans how their dates went. I remember Otou-san asking about it," I added, chuckling at the dear memory. I had been nervous and scared out of my mind when he had asked how my first date with Kuon went.

"Oi, I was interrogated by my own mother. She didn't just ask how that date went; she made me describe it in utter most detail! She even threw a fit when I told her I kissed you on the cheek!"

I laughed. I had to admit it was a spectacular sight when Okaa-san started stomping around the house, ignoring Kuon's explanation entirely. It was almost a month before she would actually talk to him again. There communicated through notes during that time. Guess who the messenger was?

"Okaa-san was just mad because you did it spur of the moment. Remember, she's a romantic."

He snorted. "Says the second little princess of the Hizuri family," Kuon said sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes. I never did find out what the inside joke was about calling me the 'second princess' of the Hizuri family. Whenever I asked about it, everyone calmed up and avoided the subject.

"Kuon, can I talk to Aoi?" I asked. I wanted to know how her date went before Kyoya-kun showed up.

"Sure, I'll go to my room and catch up some reading," he said. There was the shuffle of hands and someone getting off the couch.

"You do know he's going to put his ear to the wall, and listen in on our conversation, Kaa-san?" Aoi asked. I wasn't surprised she didn't want to discuss her love life with her father around.

"Why don't you slip out to the park a few blocks west?" I suggested. I had discovered the park wondering around one day. It was secluded, though it was rumored to be haunted. I may have had something to do with it, but that's beside the point.

"I am not going to go near Haunted Himeno Park. Not even the local gangs go near there," she added, frightened.

I laughed. "Aoi, it's not haunted. Let's just say I cleaned up the park, and no one saw what cleaned up the rowdy young men," I said, vaguely.

She paused. "You used your demons on them, didn't you?" Aoi accused.

"I was too lazy to scare 'em off with my martial arts," I admitted.

She laughed. "If I tell me friends you were the ghost of Himeno Park, they call me a dirty liar. But it would keep the guys off me," she mused.

I chuckled. The Mogami and Hizuri genetics were a powerful combination, especially regarding attraction to the opposite sex. "Just have Yuki hang around you for a while. The guys will back off and the girls will be shooting you death glares," I said, barely containing a smile.

Aoi giggled quietly. There was the sound of a door opening and closing, and rapid footsteps. She had slipped out of the apartment and was heading for Himeno Park.

"So, how'd you date go?" I asked, walking back into Le Goût du Vin. After I got off the phone I was going to take a nap.

Aoi sighed. "Well, Yamoto-kun and I went out to a movie, which was great by the way, and we were heading out to lunch when he-who-shall-not-be-named ran into me. He didn't recognize me immediately, so he actually apologized. But after recognizing me and seeing Yamoto-kun, he got anger and started bashing Yamoto-kun for no reason!" If I was there next to Aoi, I would have seen steam coming out of her ears. And she had every right to be mad. When Sho bashed Kuon after we started dating, there had been times I came within millimeters of putting him in the hospital.

"He's probably jealous, Aoi. He wants you to look at him, not Yamoto-kun. He-who-shall-not-be-named is still in love with you, Aoi. He's not going to give up," I told her honestly. Sho was the same way, but he didn't know what he had 'til it was gone. Kyoya-kun knew what he had, and wanted it back. That kind of determination wouldn't go away because she was dating Yamoto-kun. He would either die trying, or he would get what he wanted.


	42. Chapter 41

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I chuckled, flipping through an old photo album; I'd found it when I packed up the things in my closest. The album was full of pictures from when Aoi and Yuki were knee-highs. My favorite was the bane of Yuki's existence. I hadn't had the chance to tell Hime-chan that story yet. Yuki glanced over my shoulder at the album, and his eyes immediately fixed on my favorite picture.

"Kaa-san, hand me the album, please," he said, not taking his eyes off the picture.

"No, I will not have you destroy my favorite photo of you," I said determinedly, hugging the photo album to my chest.

Yuki growled and reached for the album. I turned so the album was out of reach. He reached around from the other side to grab it, but I curled into a tight ball with the album securely tucked into my chest. He tried to pry my arms open, but I just clutched the album tighter. He sighed and gave up.

"Fine, you win. But if you show that to anyone without my permission, I am going to destroy that picture. No objections," Yuki added, going back to packing up his stuff.

I chuckled and uncurled. I packed the album away and went back to packing up my things.

Surprisingly, it didn't take long for the two of us to pack everything into boxes. I had already arranged for movers to pick up everything and take it to the docks the next day. I stood back and admired my work.

"Oh, and Yuki?"

"Yeah?" he asked, sounding a little tired.

"What would you do if I sent out flyers all over France about moving to Japan?" I asked him, trying to seem curious, not on the verge of breaking down in malevolent laughter.

Yuki didn't reply. I glanced at him, and had to clamp my hands over my mouth to keep from laughing. His face was a perfect mask of pure horror.

"You wouldn't dare," he said, slowly, turning to look me straight in the eye.

I smiled impishly. "No, I didn't. I put an anonymous post on all of the Yuki Mogami forums. Did you know there's somewhere around 800 forums dedicated solely to you?" I asked, innocently.

"Please, tell me you joking, Kaa-san. _Please_."

I shrugged. "I would say I was joking, but I don't like to lie," I said, grinning boardly.

"Do they know the date or which airport we're leaving from?" he asked, grabbing hold of what little shimmers of hope were left.

"Not all of them. They had to pay 50,000 yen for each piece of addition information," I explained cheerfully.

"You're the devil in disguise," Yuki said glaring at me.

I smiled. "Quoting Elvis Presley won't help."

He growled at me. "I'm going to be murdered later this week by crazy fans, and you're making cracks about me quoting some dead American singer?!"

I rolled my eyes. "Yuki, do you think I'm just going to throw you into a pack of wolves?" I asked, walking over to the table by the door and opening my purse.

"Yes," he said bluntly.

I sighed, and tossed a tube of hair dye at him. "How many people do you think will recognize you with blond hair?"

He smiled. "You cunning fox."

I smiled. "I had to avoided rabid fans for three years; I wouldn't throw you in there without some sort of disguise," I said ruffling his hair. "And our flight's in two days, Yuki."

He sighed, relieved. "That means I have less time to imagine what would happen if a girl recognized me at the airport. We're flying out of Charles de Gaulle right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it's an early flight, so be ready first thing in the morning in two days."

He smiled and gave me a mock salute. "Aye, aye, Captain. I'll prepare to shove off bright 'n' early in 4800 hours."

I smacked him on the back of the head. "Enough with the sailors terminology. Jeanne's going to be here soon, so get your shoes on."

_**Kuon's POV**_

I pulled my hat down farther. A silver sports car that looked suspiciously like Hizuri Kuon's and a man leaning against it, looking suspiciously like said actor, tended to attract a lot of attention. Why Kyoko had insisted I personally come pick her and Yuki up, was beyond my comprehension.

I scanned the terminal for Kyoko and Yuki, but couldn't find them.

"Looking for someone?" someone asked very softly beside me.

I jumped, and whipped around to see a young man, with blonde hair and dark sunglasses, grinning mischievously at me.

"I think you've found them," someone else whispered in my ear. I jumped again, and turned to see Kyoko smiling wickedly at me. She was wearing dark sunglasses and a baseball cap, but I could see her amber eyes filled with amusement.

"I take it that's Yuki," I said pointing to the young man.

"Yep, no one recognized him, even though the terminal was crawling with fan girls. Japanese girls have opened him with open arms, and they don't even know it," she said happily, brushing past me to get into the passenger seat.

Yuki followed suit and climbed into the back seat. I rolled my eyes and went around the car to get to the drivers' side.

"So Jeanne's taking over management of Le Goût du Vin?" I asked, pulling away from the curb.

"Yes, it just didn't feel right to sell it. Too bad I had to take Grue Brique Geleé di Vins off the menus. They were our best seller, after all," Kyoko added, sighing.

I chuckled. "Maybe you'll be able to make some for a location shoot when you get back into LME as an actress."

She laughed. "You're kidding, right? I bet no one, I mean no one, will even dare to try anything I make for fear of food poisoning. Take your cooking for example, it could be considered a biological weapon," she said, looking exactly like an honest, goody-two-shoes, high school student.

I scowled at her. "It's not my fault my mother taught me how to cook."

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I walked quickly to Kuon's apartment. Someone had slipped his address to the media, and they were crammed packed outside the lobby. Thankfully, Kuon had parked a few blocks down so there was minimal risk of exposure. But of course, Murphy felt it necessary to prove his existence yet again. One of the reporters "accidentally" bumped into Yuki, and knocked his hat and sunglasses off. Nothing set the press of like a miniature celebrity. They pounced, and began flooding Yuki with questions. Neither Kuon nor I could go into the mass and haul him out without jeopardizing our relationship. Aoi chose that moment to make her appearance.

"Oi!" she yelled at the shouting mass.

They stopped and turned to her.

"Do you think you could stop harassing my boyfriend?" Aoi asked, irritated.

I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. Yuki was gawking at her along with the mass of press.

I sighed. To hell with secrecy. "Move," I said loudly. Yelling wouldn't do any good and talking quietly wouldn't get me heard.

The mass parted for Yuki like the Red Sea for Moses. He hastily walked towards me and Kuon.

"We're screwed, aren't we?" he asked, looking guilty.

I patted his head. "It's not your fault." I turned to Aoi. "Aoi, help meat head one and meat head two get the luggage into your father's apartment. I'll take care of this," I said, gesturing to the mass of press.

The three of them scurried off before the mass could react, so they began directing the questions at me.

"Miss, is this Yuki in any way connected to Hizuri Kuon-sama?"

"Miss, what is your name and relationship with the boy?"

"Miss, who are you and what, exactly, is your connections with this boy and Hizuri Kuon-sama?"

Those question questions and many more were coming from all sides. I held my hand up for silence and they gave it to me; a first for the media.

"In about an hour, I will hold a press conference and answer all your questions—that are within reason—at LME. But for now, I need to get settled back into Tokyo. If you'll excuse me," I said pushing my way towards Kuon's apartment.

A reporter rudely grabbed my arm and started to turn me around to answer his question. I grabbed his wrist, and squeezed.

"Let go," I said calmly. I wasn't in the mood to ward off the press. He let go, and the rest of the pass made a path for me. I let go of his wrist and went to Kuon's apartment. Just another day in paradise.

Hours later, Kuon, Yuki and Aoi were seated beside me on the stage. I wasn't surprised the president had it ready before we had even arrived. He was the president of LME after all. He had also started addressing me as Hizuri-chan. Yashiro had been talking while we were out of Japan.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. All I was going to do was tell the whole world about Aoi, Yuki, and my engagement. No big deal. Kuon just happened to be Japan's number one most eligible bachelor and I was supposedly dead. Piece of cake. Somewhere a clock chimed and I knew my hour was up.

I took another deep breath, stood and walked up to the podium. Media and fans alike were gathered below. Grand, I was going to be murdered in front of the press. At least it saved the police some work.

"Good evening, ladies and gentleman. I don't think any of you have recognized me from my acting in 'Dark Moon' or 'Emerald Empress', so I will introduce myself. I am Kyoko Mogami, once known as the actress Kyoko."

The crowd was stunned. I had supposedly died 15 years ago so I wasn't too surprised.

"I have called this press conference so that the questions from earlier today may be answered. I have two people I would like to introduce to all of you," I said, glancing back to Aoi and Yuki.

They both stood up and stepped forward.

"These two are my 15-year-old children, my son, Yuki, and my daughter, Aoi. I believe quite a few of you have guessed who their father is, and he is Hizuri Kuon." As I said his name, Kuon stood and faced the press stoically.

"I will also inform you that Kuon and I are engaged." I flashed my engagement ring to prove my statement. Cameras went off all around as questions, accusations, and yells of protest rung out from the crowd. Yep, just another day in paradise.

"We will call on reporters and let them ask their questions, but otherwise, be quiet," I said, trying to quiet the crowd. An unhappy crowd wasn't much different from a mob. Quickly the crowd quieted.

"You pick the reporters, I'm too tired," I said sitting down.

Kuon sighed, and randomly picked a reporter.

"Mogami-sama, where have you been for the last 15 years?" the reporter asked.

"I have lived in Paris, running a restaurant I apprenticed in," I replied smoothly.

"So you're saying you can cook?" she asked, trying not to laugh.

I smiled. "Yes, that's right. I'm moving back to Japan, so I won't be able to actively run it anymore but I left my head chef in charge. I'm certain she can keep the five stars in place like I have for the last ten years." Being looked down on was one of the things I couldn't stand. The reporter didn't even seem embarrassed at asking her question. Obviously, she was a Kuon fan.

"What is the name of your restaurant, Mogami-sama?" she asked, trying to get some dirt.

I smiled. "Le Goût du Vin, The Taste of Wine. The next time you go to Paris, make sure you check it out. Tell your waiter you a friend of Kyoko's and you'll get a free meal; you could use it," I added, still smiling sweetly.

The reporter glared at me. Suddenly she smirked. "Mogami-sama, are you positive that these two are your children?"

I clenched my fist so they weren't tempted to throttle her pretty little neck. "Yes, I am positive. Yuki looks just like his father, so it's unlike he shares genetics with another man." It took every ounce of self-control I had not to jump off the stage and start pounding the reporter to a blood pulp. It may have been discreet, but she still accused me of sleeping around.

The reporter frowned slightly, but continued asking questions. "Mogami-sama, is it true that your son is the Mogami Yuki, the best street fighter in Paris and idol to girls everywhere?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Sometimes I wonder who has more fans; my fiancé or my son."

She grinned. "What would you say caused him to become the best street fighter in Paris?"

I shrugged. "There were a lot of contributing factors. Most of the boys at Yuki's schools were jealous and started picking fights. He usually tries to settle it peacefully but that doesn't always work. For quite a while Yuki resented his father, so there was some underlying anger. Though, most of that was fumed through his martial arts training. After Yuki started getting a reputation for being strong, boys from all over started challenging him, but, overall, he just like the internet forums claim, a rebellious mama's-boy."

"Oi, that not true!" Yuki protested.

I looked at him skeptically. "Then where did all my French suitors go?"

He closed his mouth and sat down with a huff.

I resisted the urge to pat his head and say "Good boy."

"Do you have any more questions?" I asked, turning back to the crowd.

They shook their heads silently.

"Good, we'll be going now. Have a good evening," I said, walking off stage.

It was hard to believe that after just a couple minutes of answering questions, we went back to normal way of life. Or at least as normal as you could get being, and being married to, a famous Japanese actor.

* * *

Okay folks, this is the last chapter. I will be posting an Epilogue and an omake; I may do some one-shots based off of some of the incidents named in chapter 39, but there are no guarantees.

Hope you enjoy!


	43. Epilogue

_**Kuon's POV**_

After we told the world about Aoi and Yuki, things seemed to fall into place, creating a happy ending.

I had found a nice house—three bedrooms with two and a half baths—for a reasonable price on the outskirts of Tokyo. It was a bit of a drive to LME and Tokyo High, but it was nice and secluded. Kyoko had loved the house and insisted we buy it immediately. The owners had been more than happy to sell the house to two of the most popular actors in Japan.

Not long after we finished moving in, school started. Aoi was excited to be going back, where as, Yuki was absolutely terrified. He had asked if he could be homeschooled, saying something about how Japanese fan girls were so much more rabid than the French ones. Where he got that idea, I had no solid proof, but I think Aoi had something to do with it.

At the end of the first day of school, Aoi was jumping when even the slightest noise was made, while Yuki just whistled happily. When Kyoko asked them about it, Aoi calmed up. The reason was actually very simple.

"Aoi kept getting mobbed by fans (teachers, girls, administration, boys, and the like). Do you know how much blackmail material I got today?" was what Yuki told us. I believed him. Such a traumatic expression would make for very good blackmail material; though, all of it was confiscated. Much to his chagrin I might add.

_Making Happily Ever After_—the sequel to _Heartache Dreams_—was set to release on December 31st. Ironic, since it was the day of my wedding.

Speaking of the wedding, The president had started to plan my wedding. Only, he wouldn't tell me anything about it. He insisted that it's the bride's big day, so she should be the only one allowed to help plan. I didn't even get to pick out my ring. The president _supposedly_ already picked it out. All I knew was that I'm getting married on December 31st; doesn't it just scream unforgettable?

Kyoko had already picked out her bridesmaids as I, my groomsmen. Kotonami-chan is, of course, the maid of honor, Maria and Chirori-san as bridesmaids and Aoi and Hime as flower girls. Yashiro, no matter how a pain he could be, was still my best man. Hiou-kun and Chirori-san's boyfriend, whose name I can't recall, graciously offered to be groomsmen to even out the numbers. Yuki got stuck as the ring bearer. He wasn't opposed, but that's only because he got to walk out with Hime on his arm.

_**Kyoko's POV**_

I fidgeted with my lacy veil nervously. It was already December 31st, the big day. I was nervous. Despite my objections, the president had invited reporters from all over Japan. I was sure the guest count was over a thousand people.

Moko scowled at me, arms folded over the top of her dark blue, strapless bridesmaid dress. "Relax, Kyoko. You're just walking down the aisle, saying a few words, kissing Kuon-kun, and bam; you're married. After the ceremony you get to fly off to Hawaii for you honeymoon. Not to mention, you'll have me, Chirori-chan, Maria-chan, Aoi-chan, and Hime there next to you."

I smiled. "You're right. I have nothing to be nervous about. All I'm doing is marrying the man of my dreams."

She smiled softly and hugged me. "It's hard to believe the childish little Kyoko I met 18 years ago has finally grown up."

I hugged her back. "I can't believe Moko isn't still a brutish woman."

She pulled back, glaring playfully at me. "I'm not brutish!"

"And I'm in no way childish!" I said.

We laughed. Aoi hustled into my little preparation tent. "The wedding starts in five minutes. We need to get into our places. Ryuuya Ji-chan is here, but I don't see step-witch and co."

I nodded, and slowly stood up, trying not to trip on my hem. The dress was beautiful; it was exactly like the dress I'd worn for Sho's PV. I bet the president had it made that way for a reason. I checked my hair and smiled.

My hair was barely down to my shoulders, but made me look sort of pretty with the dress. I took a deep breath and walked out of the tent unto the unsteady rocks. Thank Lord that the president had allowed me to wear flats.

It was sort of sweet that the president had suggested we hold the wedding in Kyoto. At the place Kuon and I first met, of course. He had decorated the whole clearing to match a wintry theme we'd decided on. The trees were powered with fake snow and wrapped in white and blue garlands. A simple white arch stood proudly about thirty feet away from the altar, which the president was standing behind looking absolutely glowing. Kuon stood in front of the altar, looking utterly expressionless. He had already given up trying to fool me with his flimsy masks. If it wasn't for the media, and his acting skills, Kuon would've been shaking in his dress shoes.

Dad was waiting patiently a few feet back from the arch. He smiled, seeing me. "You look beautiful, Kyoko. I bet Alisa would have loved to see you dressed up so beautifully."

I gave him a strained smile. "Things happen."

Dad nodded, and offered his arm. I took his arm and took a deep breath. Kuon wasn't the only one nervous.

A professional pianist started playing a new melody, and we started filing through the arch. Maria and Chirori-chan went first, followed by Moko. Aoi and Hime-chan went next.

The music slowly changed to the wedding march, and Dad and I started down the aisle. All eyes, friendly, hostile, calculating, and indifferent alike, were on me. There were low whistles and woman—and girls—smacking their dates. If anyone wasn't looking at me, they would have seen Kuon glaring at the males who whistled. He was only a little possessive.

Dad stopped a few steps from Kuon and turned to me. He slowly lifted up the veil and gave me a quick peck on the cheek. He lowered the veil and faced Kuon with a resolute expression.

"You'd better take care of her," Dad said as Kuon took my hand.

Said man smiled. "I will, Ryuuya-san. Even if I have to risk my life, I'll protect her."

I rolled my eyes. Slowly we turned to face the president. He started speaking but I wasn't really listening. I was surprised when it was my turn.

"Mogami Kyoko, do you take Hizuri Kuon to be your lawfully wedded husband?" the president asked.

I smiled blissfully. "I do."

He smiled. "You may now kiss the bride."

Kuon smiled and did exactly that. I didn't pay attention to the noise from all those gathered there that day. I was too busy kissing my new husband.

Who was it that said happily ever after wasn't easy?


	44. Omake

Here's the Omake I promised you. The first little short story is based off of my brother. I changed the story a little to make it match the story, though. Oh, and if you don't know the second definition of fairy, please look it up. It will make the story a whole lot more funny.

* * *

Little Fairy (Kyoko's favorite picture)

I knocked on the twins' door. "Aoi. Yuki, time for dinner." I said, opening the door. Noting in the world would have prepared me for what I say. Aoi froze, in the process of putting a tiara on Yuki's head. He was wearing one of Aoi's pink sparkly tutus and a pair of her ballet shoes.

"Mommy, look! I'm a fairy!" Yuki said happily, holding up a little magic wand.

"Aoi, was this your idea or Yuki's?" I asked, the corners of my mouth twitching upwards.

"It was Yuki's," she said meekly, fearing punishment.

"Okay. Don't move. I'll be right back with a camera." I said, sprinting to my bedroom. I grabbed my camera off my dresser and sprinted back.

Yuki and Aoi were still in the same positions I'd left them in.

"Okay, Aoi, put on the tiara and stepped back. Unless you want to be in the picture…?"

Aoi smiled, daintily placing the tiara on Yuki's head, and skipped a few steps to the left.

"Okay, Yuki, raise up your wand and smile," I said, holding up the camera.

Yuki happily did so. He held up his wand and smiled. I took the picture and admired my son for a moment.

"You know, this would have been even better if your father was here wearing a matching outfit." I told them, smiling. "Now, come on. Dinner's getting cold."

* * *

Yuki White (the first blackmail picture shown to Aoi)

I glanced around the gates of Yuki's school. Yuki had said he'd meet me there before his class's performance.

"Yuki, come out! The play is going to start soon!" Yuki's female classmates called.

"Look there he is!" one of them shouted. I had a feeling a photo worthy moment was about to happen. I pulled out my video camera and turned around. Yuki came sprinting out of some of a group of bushes, dressed as Snow White. Ironically, the dress actually looked nice on him, as did the wig. It seemed someone had managed to capture Yuki and put make-up on him. Yuki either didn't notice it or was too busy running from his classmates to wash it off

"Yuki, smile!" I called, the camera still focused on him. They froze and turned to look at me. Yuki's face was priceless as he recognized the object in my hands.

"Turn that camera off right this second!" He yelled. While his classmates were still frozen, Yuki used the opportunity to put a large margin between them.

I chuckled. "Good luck catching him." I said, heading to the auditorium.

"Who was that?" one of the girls asked behind me.


	45. Omake 2: The Katsuki Incident

Hey y'all and Merry Christmas. So I found this floating on my hard driver the other day and was bored so I decided to extend it to be about the entire three weeks Ren was trapped as Katsuki. I ran out of good ideas about halfway through, but oh well. Have a good read!~MWG

**

* * *

Day One**

I got out of Ren's car, making sure I had all the grocery bags. I made a beeline for the elevator, not even turning when a car door opened and the occupant strolled towards me.

The elevator arrived and I entered, holding the door open for the sexy, laidback man who had been behind me. He was tall, black haired with tiny flecks of blonde at the roots, and brown eyes inviting me to play with him. I found the come-hither smile just a little offensive and very annoying. Especially since it was on the face of my boyfriend of three and a half month, who was currently not my boyfriend.

"Katsuki,"—he had said either to drop the "kun" or he'd start trying to grab my ass—"will you please stop looking at me as if I'm a steak," I asked him blandly, resisting the urge to smack him with the bag of cans. He was still Ren in body and I couldn't bear the thought of hurting him.

Katsuki looked at her innocently. "I am? I thought I was examining the finest example of womanhood in history."

Letting the compliment slide of my skin, I rolled my eyes. For that last three hours—the bastard had taken the _long_ way to Ren's apartment—Katsuki had been bathing me in compliments while I fended off his searching hand. I had won every battle, giving him a slightly sore hand. I'd apologize to Ren when he came back from wherever the hell he was.

I had cleared both Ren's and my schedule for the next month and had informed my manager I wouldn't be back at my apartment for a while because of personal reasons and I had told the president I was camped out at Ren's until Katsuki decided he had overstayed his welcome.

I retrieved my key for the apartment from my purse and unlocked the door, pushing it open and making my way to the kitchen. I set out a few things to make dinner with and put the rest away. I had enough for about a week and a half so I would have to go shopping again, but not for a while.

I started the rice cooker and began warming up a frying pan. I had just put the meat into the hot skillet when two strong arms wrapped around me, imprisoning my arms. I scowled over my shoulder at the smirking man holding me and dryly asked, "You do remember I've been taking karate, taekwondo, aikido, and judo for the last two years?" Gaining fame meant gaining stalkers as well and self defense had become a necessity for me.

"But are you willing to harm your boyfriend in using said skills?" Katsuki asked softly in my ear.

"I'll apologize later," I said, kicking his shin and dealing dual elbows to his abdomen.

His breath rushed out of his lungs and stumbled back, letting me go. "I guess I won't try that again," Katsuki wheezed, limping back towards the living room.

I suppressed a wince and went back to cooking our dinner. He had deserved it and if Ren still hurt when he came back I'd apologize and explain why I did it.

**Day Two**

It turned out during the two weeks I was gone on a photo shoot in Taiwan Ren had just left his laundry to pile up. I had resigned myself to separating his clothes and then washing them since that was all I had to do around Ren's apartment besides watching TV and reading the newspaper.

I had just put his cold whites into the dryer when I saw them. A pair of black boxers with luminescent pink hearts, next to which was a matching woman's thong. Underneath the two undergarments was a note, scrawled on a piece of stationary.

_Nothing says couple like matching clothing, _it read. I scrunched the note in my hands, stomping to the master bedroom. I threw the door open, much to the delight of the lounging, naked man on the bed, whosemanhood was hidden behind a pillow. I felt my cheeks flame, even as I pitched the paper ball at his head, muttering, "Pervert," as I shut the door behind me.

I cursed my hormones and body-snatchers as I perched on the toilet, toilet paper stuffed up my right nostril.

**Day Three**

I stared at the food laid out on the table. I had gone out with Moko-san so the press could get a photo of me, proving I wasn't dead or held hostage somewhere, and was gone for an hour or so. And here I was, standing in front of the kitchen table filled with food for two, a single red candle in the middle, and Katsuki sitting on the other side.

"I thought I'd give you the night off."

I stared at him. "You cooked this? In this kitchen?"

"I am under house arrest, am I not?"

"I keep forgetting that you don't share his lack of cooking talent. So, what's in the glass?"

Katsuki adopted that innocent look of his again and I picked both glasses up and dumped the contents into the sink, saying, "Third rule: no alcohol."

"I thought the third rule was no peeking."

"The fourth rule then."

"I thought the fourth rule was no suggestive notes or comments."

"The fifth—"

"No pet names."

"The six—"

"No taking off clothes."

"The—"

"No taking off _my_ clothes."

"I hate you."

"Hate's a very passionate emotion."

I proceeded to bash my head into the refrigerator until Katsuki put his hand in the way. I then settled for going to Ren's guest room and pounding my head into the pillows. He approved.

**Day Four**

I snuggled deeper in to my warm pillowing, taking comfort in its steady heartbeat and slowly opened my eyes. I was met with someone's naked, toned chest and looked up, coming face to face with Katsuki.

I screamed, scrambling away from him and, in doing so, fell off the bed. I stared horrified at the man in Ren's guest bed, the sheet strategically place on his waist. Blushing, I quickly looked down at myself making sure I was fully clothed and not hurting away where I shouldn't be.

Finding myself in the condition I went to bed in, minus the pain in my ass from falling off the bed, I let out a relieved sigh. I was so not ready for that much of a physical relationship.

**Day Five**

I, once again, smacked Katsuki's hand off my thigh and wrestled the television remote back. I was watching one of Otou-san's old movies and Katsuki kept taking the remote and changing the channel to some sex and action guy flick.

"Come on, Kyouko. I hardly ever get to watch TV."

"Sucks to be you."

"Please."

"I'm immune to the puppy dog pout by now, dude."

"You know I'm going to get you back for this."

"Bring it on, half-wit."

"Rule five."

"Jerk."

"Four."

"Have I told you I hate you today?"

"Thank you so very much, love."

"Rule five."

"You're going to copy me."

"Rule four."

"Come on!"

"Four again."

"Now you're just being a brat."

"Rule five."

"How does he put up with you?" He didn't talk anymore that night, but he did catch up on all that sleep he was missing.

**Day Six**

I looked at the trail of paper hearts impassively. Seriously? Did I look like a romantic to him? And didn't he know what Ren did?

I slipped out of bed and stopped, shivering. It seemed a lot colder than it had last night…and I was wearing a black silk teddy that I didn't own and hadn't put on and no underwear.

"YOU DIRTY PERVERT!"

**Day Seven**

I glowered at the mirror, my left eyebrow twitching. I had installed a lock on the guestroom door to make sure a repeat of the other morning never happened and now, I had bruises—a normal teenager would read that as kiss marks—running up and down my neck, only stopping at my collar bone.

Damn bastard had picked the lock. How the fuck did he know how to pick a lock?

**Day Eight**

I knocked on the bathroom door and when I received no answer I entered. Just to come face to face with Katsuki lying in the tub, smiling invitingly at me.

I slammed the door shut, safely on the outside, and shouted, "Lock the damn door next time!"

"But I don't want to," he whined.

"You're enjoying this."

"Of course!"

"I hate you so much."

**Day Nine**

I started at the tray of heart shaped pancakes on the nightstand. He'd picked the new lock. Katsuki had picked the burglar proof lock. Where the hell did he get these skills from?

"Syrup?"

"My eyes!"

I heard more than saw him pout, seeing as I had put my hands over my eyes immediately. He'd waltzed into my room naked except for my apron. The "Kiss the Fairy Cook" apron Maria-chan had given me for my last birthday. Desire and reason were both putting up a good fight, but reason seemed to be winning. Getting a picture of him in the apron was not worth what was left of my mind's virginity.

**Day Ten**

I stared in horror at the heart shaped line of bruises on my stomach. I had booby trapped the entire guest room with tripwires, duct tape, frying pans, pins, needles and anything else I could to _stop_ the damn pervert from getting to the bed. He couldn't have possible disarmed all of them in the dark without making any noise!

**Day Eleven**

I admired my handiwork and turned back to preparing lunch. Katsuki had been getting very grabby so I tied him to a chair with the rope I had found in Ren's car. He'd been pretty vocal with his complaints before I gagged him with one of my man's handkerchiefs. Katsuki had finally settled for tapping his foot impatiently, trying to goad me into smacking him or throwing him outside. Nope, and he was going to have to discover how to eat with his arms bounded.

Revenge was so sweet.

**Day Twelve**

I knew the second I woke up I shouldn't have tied the resource son of a bitch to a chair. Why? Because now I was strapped to the same chair with the same rope in only a camisole and panties, watching Katsuki cook. It irritated me to know he was almost as good as I was.

"Morning, love. Sausage or bacon?"

"Can I have some of each?"

"Sure, but what are you willing to do for it, hmm?"

"You perverted son of a bitch."

"A fried egg sandwich it is."

**Day Thirteen**

Forsaking sleep, I stayed up all night with the largest frying pan Ren owned. The door hadn't even cracked open once and I took that as a good sign, but didn't let down my guard. Kastuki was a sly bastard.

I had taken a short nap after lunch, maybe 15 minutes, and found myself to be entirely covered with whipped cream, wearing nothing else, in the bathtub.

"_KATSUKI!_"

**Day Fourteen**

I had managed to get all most of the whipped cream off and out of my hair. I had gotten him back that night though. Chocolate syrup in his boxers and pajamas.

I gazed balefully at Katsuki and he sneered at me.

"You just had to slip in the bed with me and hug me," I said dryly, trying to peel the sheet off my side. The damn thing kept sticking!

"You're the one who put it in my clothes."

"You stripped me and bathed me in a tub of whipped cream!"

"After you had tied me to a chair."

"You tied me to a chair too!"

"Can we just focus on de-sticky-ing ourselves?"

I picked up the faucet head and sprayed his face. I felt very justified.

Wiping damp bangs out of his eyes, Katsuki said dryly, "Why thank you ever so much."

"Oh, shut up, you wise ass."**Day Fifteen**

Against my better judgment, I was camped out on Ren's couch. Thanks to Mr. Wise Ass's prank, the guest bed and its sheets, pillows and all that were covered in chocolate syrup and soaking in the kitchen and bathroom sinks. So here I was, out on the couch away from the protection of a lock with only a blanket and a pillow. The bastard had hidden my frying pans again, and sleeping with needles in hand would more likely hurt me than him.

I woke up and was fine until I tried to move. "You fucking bastard!"

Katsuki had found that blasted rope again, rolled me inside my blanket and tied it nice 'n' tight.

"Payback's a bitch," he called back.

**Day Sixteen**

I had broken down and finally submitted to taking a bath. I had been starting to reek, especially after the whipped cream and chocolate syrup. Under no circumstances was I going to let Kastuki in here. I had a frying pan within reach and several handy projectiles: bars of soap, bottles of shampoo/condition, shaving cream—mine—, aftershave, hairbrushes, combs, a little plastic stool, a few razors—insert wicked laugh here—, etc.

I stepped out of the bath and reached for my towel. I frowned, my hand only meeting air. I turned to look at the steel rod and grumbled seeing no towels. I opened the cabinet above the toilet and frowned finding to towels there either. I checked under the sink, once again finding no towels.

"God damn…" I muttered, taking the plastic liner out of the trash bin and started shaking, seeing my change of clothes I always kept at Ren's were gone.

"YOU BASTARD!"

**Day Seventeen**

I stood in front of the front door, arms at my side with two of Ren's largest skillets in my hands. "Rule one, Katsuki."

"Come on, he deserves it. He not only slandered me, he slighted you too."

I stared him down and the man growled under his breath.

"You never let me do anything."

"You're talking like I'm your mother."

"My mother is way hotter than that."

I felt only a twinge of guilt when I hit him with the frying pan.

**Day Eighteen**

"Son of a bitch," I said. My chocolate. My precious that time of the month chocolate was _gone_. _GONE!_

Katsuki stood at the door to the guest room, looking bemused. "What did I do?"  
"YOU ATE MY CHOCOLATE!"

"Oh, sorry." He even did the sheepish downcast of the eyes.

"If you weren't in Ren's body, Katsuki. You'd be dead. D-E-A-D."

"Oh, you're so scary."

"Want me to get Mio to come out and play for a bit?" I took great pleasure in his ashen expression.

**Day Nineteen**

More than two weeks had passed since that perverted thing had taken over Ren, and I was getting damn well feed up with that ass's antics. I'd woken up every morning with at least one bruise on my neck and often two or three on my abdomen.

I had gotten to the point of buying bug repellent and spraying myself with it before going to bed. It smelled nasty so I assumed it tasted nasty as well.

No such luck seeing there were five new _bug_ bites.

**Day Twenty**

I uncapped the marker and tried, very hard, not to drool over Ren's/Katsuki's toned chest. The man was going to regret sleeping in only boxers after this. Too bad it was a washable marker.

First was the tradition mustache, followed by lining the eyes. Next came the doodling: flowers, spirals, dots and swiggly lines. Finally and mostly his lower abdomen and legs were all my "nicknames" for him. Which consisted of bastard, asshole, man-whore, pervert and body snatcher.

I was cooking dinner when Katsuki woke up. I could tell by the loud shout of "_YOU BITCH!"_

Payback felt so good.

**Day Twenty-one**

I woke up the next morning, and sighed, not even bothering to see if I had any new bruises. I had given up trying to stop him since nothing I had tried in the last three weeks had worked.

Stretching, I headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Just because he wasn't Ren at the moment didn't mean he didn't have to eat. I had to admit; at least Katsuki had a normal appetite.

I was surprised to see Katsuki sitting at the kitchen table, frowning at the coffee in his hands. "You're up early. Did you actually sleep last night?" I asked, opening the refrigerator and pulling out the carton of eggs.

He looked up at me obviously confused. "What?"

I frowned at him. "Ren?" It could all be a trick. Katsuki was a sly bastard.

His brows frowned and I let out a relieved sigh, going over to hug him. "Thank god, you're back. I thought I was going to have to deal with that pervert forever!"


End file.
